In October 2017 we explored our Stirling County Council Government Evacuation Scheme records as part of our ‘document of the month’ feature. Click here to see this post.
We mentioned in that post around 175,000 people were evacuated during the first month of the scheme in 1939. This included 62,000 unaccompanied children and 99,000 children and their mothers.
Due to the enormity of the scheme it can be very difficult to trace the specific address that child evacuees were sent to. For those who experienced the scheme, many will have a recollection of where they were sent but might not remember specifically where.
School records can help with tracking down where evacuees were relocated. You’re most likely to find information through two specific records: log books and admission registers. Both records, however, do have their limitations.
School log books are valuable as they often provide information on where and when evacuees arrived at the school. A running total of evacuees in the school is often recorded. Unfortunately it is rare for log books to specifically name children who arrived at the school.
Admission registers provide detailed information about when a pupil was admitted to the school. They may also record when a pupil left the school and provide additional information such as their address and parents’ name.
Unfortunately it was rare for a school to add evacuees to the admission register. This example from Gargunnock School, however, proves that it did occur. All the evacuees in the register have been marked with red ink.
The admission register provides the following valuable information about evacuees:
- Name
- Date of admission
- Date of birth
- Where they were staying with in the area
- Who they were staying with
- Where they had come from
This is a rare and invaluable source of information. Although this level of detail doesn’t exist for every school it always worth consulting the records just be sure!
