Showing 82 results

This series illuminates two important orphanage-related activities performed by the Sisters: collecting funds from surrounding rural communities and the annual Orphans’ Festival. These fundraising events were important as it was expensive to house and feed the orphaned and fostered children. Thus, the Sisters asked the community for support. The series contains news clippings, programs, photographs, ledgers and record books.

This series provides information about the daily expenses of running St. Mary’s Orphanage. For individual fostered children, information is given about the promised rate, the amount of board money actually received, who paid for the child’s stay, as well as how long the child remained in the care of the Sisters. Receipts and disbursements show the orphanage’s total expenses for 1958 and 1959. These documents provide information about how many boys versus girls were in the Sisters’ care, as well as the ages of the children. The public welfare accounting forms give details about each individual child, including age, rate per week, admission and discharge date, and the number of days in care. Additional information can be found in the records of orphan fees books (1902-1926 and 1925-1944). These books outline payment information regarding individual orphans’ care. Applications for provincial aid, Orphan Festival financial reports, and general financial reports also make up this series. Cash statements are provided for the period covering 1935 to 1940. These detail information such as the amount of money spent on clothing and feeding the children, Orphans’ Festival expenses, and general bills. The series also shows the amount of fees received from parents, the city of Hamilton, the Orphans’ Festival, and provincial government grants. The 1957 to 1965 journal lists items from the orphanage’s accounts payable and receivable. Items include bread, cereals, coal, water, and grant money. There are also receipt books that cover the years 1930 to 1943. These books give an in-depth look at what the Sisters were purchasing to run the orphanage.

This series provide information about government regulations for orphanages in Ontario, including the 1965 Children’s Institutions Act and Regulations. These documents outline the rules surrounding the care of orphaned and fostered children. Detailed criteria had to be met. There are sections including general health and well-being, medical and dental care, nutrition, and clothing. Financial activities also had to be carried out within accordance to the law. Information about budgets, audits, and financing can also be found in these records. Annual inspections of the orphanage were done by the Department of Public Welfare. The inspection reports provide information about building safety, dietary conditions, and the physical and mental well-being of the children.

Correspondence on varied matters can be found in this series. A May 9, 1939 letter from Mother Marguerite to Hamilton Mayor William Morrison discusses the one year “experiment” where the Sisters placed children in outside foster homes. There are also letters which discuss financial activities. An August 6, 1940 letter from the Hamilton Community Fund to Mother Marguerite states that $5,000 was bequeathed from the estate of the Honourable George Lynch-Staunton to be used to help fund the cost of the laundry. There is also correspondence between the orphanage and the Catholic Welfare Bureau regarding an increase in grant money for institutions caring for children. A 1959 letter written by the Mount St. Joseph Educational Committee discusses the higher education opportunities made available to orphaned children. A 1987 letter from Sullivan, Festeryga, Lawlor & Arrell discusses the Sisters setting up an informal voluntary disclosure registry.

The majority of the photographs show children performing at the annual Orphans’ Festival. They are in various costumes posing for pictures, or they are performing on stage. The orphanage dining hall is featured in several photographs. Children are seen eating while the Sisters are working in the room. These images also show what the interior of the orphanage building looked like. Images of children playing games and holidays are also included in this series. There are also several photographs of the Sisters, such as an image of Sr. Clarice Van Tassel fixing a girl’s dress. Several photographs of children receiving their communion also comprise this series.

This series includes reports of the Mount St. Joseph advisory board. The board acted in an advisory capacity to the Sisters of St. Joseph at Mount St. Joseph. The October 1952 to May 1953 report details the work accomplished by the board, including having showers, lights, and a fence installed at the orphanage. The June to September 1954 report lists some of the events that occurred over the summer. This includes information about donations to the orphanage. Minutes of the advisory board meetings also comprise this series. There is also correspondence about the use of funds and events occurring at the orphanage.

This series includes historical summaries about St. Mary’s Orphanage, from the time the orphanage was located at 204 Park Street, to the House of Providence, Mount St. Joseph, and the Mount Carmel Infants’ Home. There is a list of the Sisters who worked in the orphanage from 1958 to 1961. There is also a timeline of events that outlines important milestones in the orphanage’s history, such as when it was moved into new buildings, and information about fundraising. A copy of the Motherhouse annals also comprises this series. There is also a brief summary of the history of the Mount Carmel Infants’ Home. Frank Mayer’s 1989, "There ‘With’ the Grace of God Go I", text details his life growing up in Hamilton. In Chapters 13-16, he recollects his time spent at St. Mary’s Orphanage in the early 1930s after the Great Depression made it difficult for his father to find work. He discusses topics such as the Orphans’ Festival, the building, the Sisters, as well as outlining what an average day was like living in the home. An October 26, 2015 Hamilton Spectator article details the demolition of Mount St. Joseph.