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Dora Childs and Aaron Tempest

Dora Childs was the daughter of John Childs Compositor originally of Penzance Cornwall
She was one of six children and the sister of Charles Childs and was born in Dudley
Dora went into the nursing profession like her sister Lillian

Dora and Aaron marriage 1906

Dora and Aaron marriage 1906
Witnesses brother William Henry Childs and sister Lillian
Maude (or Mabel) and May Tempest

We had no idea who Aaron's first wife Jane was, ( supposedly born 1845 Meanwood) or when they married. On the 1871 census, although stated 'married' he was living alone in the School Masters House in Skelton. There did not appear to be any children.
In 1901 he was a Widower living with niece Ethel Rollinson as Housekeeper in Rawcliffe. There is a death recorded of a Jane Tempest in York in 1899, aged 61, perhaps Rollinson is a clue? A Jane Rollinson was born in Meanwood in 1838 which ties in exactly. If it is the right one she was giving a false age on all the census sheets once she had married Aaron making her appear 2 years younger than him when in fact she was 5 years older.
After further research I found Jane Tempest in 1871 staying with her brother Edwin Rollinson and family in Skipton she was a school mistress born 1838 - he was the Manager of the Devonshire Hotel
a 17th century coaching inn ( Now the renowned Devonshire Arms Hotel )

A marriage of Aaron Tempest in 1864 has been found in Skipton.
Janice

Devonshire Arms Hotel Skipton

Devonshire Arms Hotel Skipton

Norman Tempest - Dora and Aaron's son

Norman Tempest - Dora and Aaron's son
1911 CENSUS

Aaron Tempest 67 Asylum Pensioner
Dora 32
Norman 1
Phillis 65 Mother in Law Widow

Occupying 8 Rooms at 16 Alexander Crescent Ilkley Wharfedale

Phillis went to live with Dora and Aaron when she became a widow
She died in 1925 in The Grange Residential Home Altofts Normanton
The Home is still listed in today's directories Post Code WF6 2JT
Her residential address was given as Hotel Belle Vue Ilkley


Norman went on to marry Myra and had two children
A Norman Tempest died in 1979 with the correct place and date of birth in Weymouth Dorset
More information on this side of the family would be greatly appreciated

asylum

Ashwood House Private Asylum

Ashwood House Private Asylum
 
Ashwood House, Kingswinford - 'Mr Pietersen’s Private Asylum’, above, a turn of the century photograph of the establishment in question. The house stood near Summerhill, in several acres of fine grounds near the Swindon Road. The property having a valuable frontage of 660 yards in Swindon Road and a return frontage of about 90 yards to Kidderminster Road. It formed part of the Estate of the Earl of Dudley, it had vast tracts of garden and pasture and a very ornate interior. The house was demolished around 1964 after standing empty and abandoned for many years.

On the 1901 Census Dora was a 'Nurse Attendant on the Insane' (male) working under Mr Pietersen who was resident with his family at Ashwood House which was a Licensed House for the Insane. All patients were living on their own means. The Asylum seemed to respect the privacy of their patients by using only the initials of the patient within the census return

As a strange coincidence my mother and father now live in Kingswinford, where Dora Childs was a nurse attendant at Ashwood House. Mark Childs Joseph Childs' grt grandson

Aaron Tempest died at the Hotel Belle Vue Ilkley Yorks on 23.10.1919 aged 76 yrs leaving Dora a young widow with a child. It is unknown whether she remarried.
Brother in law William Henry Childs was present at the death

Aaron's death 1919 - Ilkley

Aaron's death 1919 - Ilkley
photo1

North Riding Asylum

North Riding Asylum
 
The North Riding Asylum opened in the 1840s. Plans for an asylum in this area were already underway before the Lunatics Act of 1845 made the provision of county and borough asylums compulsory. The hospital took three years to build and opened to patients in 1847.
The asylum was not very large in size - approximately 1000-1100 patients were housed there in its heyday

The hospital buildings were expanded many times through the 19th and 20th century. The chapel was added in 1873. Farming enterprises were a part of many of the country asylums, and land around the hospital was acquired for this purpose, beginning with the purchase of the neighbouring Rawcliffe Farm in 1884. In the early 1960s, the Ministry of Health ended farming practice at psychiatric hospitals. . Females helped with domestic duties, and in female occupations such as sewing - patients' clothes, for example, were made at the asylum by inmates.

The asylum was designed for pauper patients, ordinary working class men and women whose families would be unable to afford the ongoing fees of private asylum care. Patients entered the county asylum via the poor law unions, with the union boards of guardians undertaking responsibility for their fees
The asylum's officers comprised a resident medical superintendent, a clerk and steward (later with an assistant), a clerk to the visitors, a treasurer and a chaplain. The medical superintendent's wife at first performed the role of matron; later on she had an assistant, but in 1870 the post of matron was replaced by that of housekeeper who also performed the function of chief nurse until 1887
Aaron Tempest was the Clerk and Registrar it is unknown what position Dora Childs held.

Changing attitudes to mental health are reflected in the various name changes. In the 1920s, the term "asylum" was dropped from the hospital's title in favour of the term "hospital". The North Riding Mental Hospital then became part of the NHS in 1948, and was renamed simply "Clifton Hospital".

A wonderful site illustrating life in the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum .....click to view

POOR LAW OFFICERS' SUPERANNUATION ACT, 1896 was passed with ammendments in the House of Lords, every Officer was entitled to a pension from the non contributary pension scheme. Also female nurses were entitled to a pension, therefore Aaron and Dora could not have been badly off on Aaron's retirement.

With many thanks to Paulene for assisting in the research
patients
 
On the 1911 Census brother William Henry Childs aged 30 was an Asylum Attendant at the Rubery Hill & Hollymoor Lunatic Asylum , Rubery near Birmingham. The above photo could have been taken at any of these establishments.

rubery

At Riverside perhaps or one of the Asylums

At Riverside perhaps or one of the Asylums
groupphoto
Childs family group photo
Possibility that Dora is in this image with some Tempests or Childs
- mother Philis kneeling right

Rawcliffe Ponds

Rawcliffe Ponds
North Riding Asylum York

Childs Family


Aaron Tempest click download to view

Aaron Tempest