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Williamson Hostel Ormskirk

By John O |
General Genealogy

Hi all, one of my maternal aunts is in the 1939 Register as being in the Williamson Hostel in Ormskirk. She would have been 13 at the time. I know that she was sick a lot and was often in hospital. I have Googled for it and cannot see anything, and wondered if any of you wise sages had an idea as to what it was or why she may have been there. There are several nurses in the same extract, some fever trained so wondering if it was a place for recuperating or such?

Looking at Google maps and the roads nearby, this seems to be near Hoscar in Burscough.

Thanks, John

John,

I ran the name through the newspaper mangle, that I can't open. It appears to be perhaps on a farm or something to do with horses. You may learn more if you can open the Newspaper reports. Just search, Williamson Hostel.

Thanks Bert, coming up with the goods. Although I don't have a current subscription to FMP, it wil lstill let me search newspaper reords. The Williamson Hostel was a YMCA but presumably being used for other purposes in 1939. Later article in 1972 is "Burscough Proposed Day Unit For Maladjusted Children (Formerly Burscough Williamson Hostel)". 

Can you tell me what search criteria you used. 

The only entry I can find at present is Manchester Evening News 19 February 1947

Married Couple as Cook/Handyman Boy's Hostel; Own furnished room etc. joint £3/10 clear; References to Superintendent, Williamson Hostel, Lathom, near Ormskirk

If I can't find anything I wonder if the Ormskirk and District Family History Society http://www.odfhs.website/ might know anything about it.

Mary, in FMP I just typed in Williamson Hostel in the 'what else' box and got a lot of hits. One of the extracts is from Yorkshire advertising for people who want to be farmers. Good idea about trying the Ormskirk and District Family History Society, thanks. yes

I perhaps had been too specific with my searches, including either Ormskirk or Lathom, leaving these out I still seem to get a lot of entries for boys wishing to train to be farmers, especially training with a view to going to Canada afterwards the Hostel offering  eight weeks training: 14-17 , years of age, these entries were C 1930, many later ones seem to be offering trained lads for this country.  I would imagine your ancestor would be working at the hostel, a 13 year old would hold down such a job as maid or in the kitchen.

If you want any of the articles let me know.

Thanks for the update Mary. She would definately not have been working there, they lived in Addison Street in Bootle. Not a million miles away but she was a sickly girl and in hospital for 2 years and was not evacuated, and from heresay none of the family have any recollection of her going there as a patient, let alone a worker. Wonder if it was a convalescence trip?