Hello, After 2+ years of on-line searching, I think I ..might.. have found my grandmother in 1900. Her adoptive name as of 1892 was Mary Anna Clark DEXTER. But, some records show her only as Mary Anna CLARK. Yesterday, I must have had a lucky day - because I found a Mary CLARK in the 1900 Census - living at the Boston Female Orphan Asylum ... I believe it was on Washington Street in Boston at the time. My grandmother was a foundling in Boston and given the name, Daisy WATROUS (?), in Feb. 1889. At her adoption in Middlesex County in Mar. 1892, her name was changed. She was adopted by "an older couple" -- who many people believe were her grandparents. (I cannot prove this.) In Apr. 1899, her Adoptive mother died, and her Adoptive father was not able to care for her. So, it appears that she was taken to the Boston Female Orphan Asylum that year. I did a search for this facility, and could not find a web site describing this Asylum. I wondered whether anyone knew of one. Or, can anyone offer a short history of this orphanage? (I did find the web site offering the names of the founders in the mid-1800's.)* And, does anyone know where records for this facility might be kept? I don't know how long she lived in this facility. She is thought to have spent her teen-age years at "The Temporary Home for Women and Children" on Chardon Street in Boston. (Perhaps she spent 5 years at each facility.) By 1910 she was living in a SMITH home in Medford, the home of her girlfriend's father. That is how she met her future husband. (FYI: "The Temporary Home" started out on Tremont Street and then moved to Chardon Street (still there on current New Chardon Street). Unbeknownst to her children, my grandmother appears to have spent from Age 10/11 to Age 20 .. living in "Downtown Boston" .. as an orphan! Thank you for your time. Betty (near Lowell, MA) *A reminder that I found a great book, "Boston's Wayward Children," at my local library last year. I plan to go borrow the book again, and see if the Boston Female Orphan Asylum is described in it. (see my previous postings) "There are two lasting bequests we can give our children; one is roots, the other is wings." Hodding Carter, Jr. "What does Jesus want in his "stocking" on Christmas morning? Loving kindness, a warm heart, and the stretched out hand of tolerance!" The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Betty, Here is a link with a little bit of information. http://www.simmons.edu/libraries/archives/char_coll/char_coll_017.htm Cheryl -----Original Message----- From: BBFFRRPP [mailto:bbffrrpp@comcast.net] Sent: Friday, October 31, 2003 7:37 AM To: BOSTON-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [BOSTON] Boston Female Orphan Asylum ... Hello, After 2+ years of on-line searching, I think I ..might.. have found my grandmother in 1900. Her adoptive name as of 1892 was Mary Anna Clark DEXTER. But, some records show her only as Mary Anna CLARK. Yesterday, I must have had a lucky day - because I found a Mary CLARK in the 1900 Census - living at the Boston Female Orphan Asylum ... I believe it was on Washington Street in Boston at the time. My grandmother was a foundling in Boston and given the name, Daisy WATROUS (?), in Feb. 1889. At her adoption in Middlesex County in Mar. 1892, her name was changed. She was adopted by "an older couple" -- who many people believe were her grandparents. (I cannot prove this.) In Apr. 1899, her Adoptive mother died, and her Adoptive father was not able to care for her. So, it appears that she was taken to the Boston Female Orphan Asylum that year. I did a search for this facility, and could not find a web site describing this Asylum. I wondered whether anyone knew of one. Or, can anyone offer a short history of this orphanage? (I did find the web site offering the names of the founders in the mid-1800's.)* And, does anyone know where records for this facility might be kept? I don't know how long she lived in this facility. She is thought to have spent her teen-age years at "The Temporary Home for Women and Children" on Chardon Street in Boston. (Perhaps she spent 5 years at each facility.) By 1910 she was living in a SMITH home in Medford, the home of her girlfriend's father. That is how she met her future husband. (FYI: "The Temporary Home" started out on Tremont Street and then moved to Chardon Street (still there on current New Chardon Street). Unbeknownst to her children, my grandmother appears to have spent from Age 10/11 to Age 20 .. living in "Downtown Boston" .. as an orphan! Thank you for your time. Betty (near Lowell, MA) *A reminder that I found a great book, "Boston's Wayward Children," at my local library last year. I plan to go borrow the book again, and see if the Boston Female Orphan Asylum is described in it. (see my previous postings) "There are two lasting bequests we can give our children; one is roots, the other is wings." Hodding Carter, Jr. "What does Jesus want in his "stocking" on Christmas morning? Loving kindness, a warm heart, and the stretched out hand of tolerance!" The Bishop's Wife (1947) ==== BOSTON Mailing List ==== Discover the City Archives and Records of Boston: http://www.ci.boston.ma.us/archivesandrecords/information.asp ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237