It never fails to amaze me what materials still show up for sale. This week we purchased an indenture, dated June 7, 1854, for a child from the Hartford Orphan Asylum. George Bartow was “surrendered in writing by the father” to the Asylum and then bound out to Lucian Bidwell of Canton to learn the art, mystery, trade and occupation of farming until he turned twenty-one, in 1864. At the end of the indenture, George was to receive $100. That works out to $10.00 a year.
inside the CHS
inside the CHS 
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Hello! It has been 7 years since you posted this, not sure if I will get a response. But I am trying to be pointed in the right direction to find as much info about an ancestor as possible. He was born in 1889 in Connecticut and is listed in the 1900 census as living in the Hartford Orphan Asylum. Harry Geeland COOLEY is his name. *Crossing my fingers I will get a response*
Jamie,
Harry Cooley was “placed” at the Orphan Asylum on March 5, 1895, by the Humane Society (which protected children, not animals at that time). His age was 5, they thought (there is a question mark after the 5). The Society paid $1.00 per week for his care. His father came to get him from the Asylum August 20, 1900. There unfortunately is no additional information on the father or mother in the Orphan Asylum records.
A quick check of the Hartford Courant for early 1895 does bring up an article about Henry Cooley and his family. The Humane Society is mentioned as investigating the hostile environment in the home and removing some children to the Tolland County home. The children are listed but there is no Harry mentioned.
Thank you! I am just now seeing this response! What a delightful surprise!
My grandmother Elizabeth Nelson was there also. 12/6/33 adopted by the Lagrange family from upstate ny as a teen. Any other information wid be wonderful.
Shelly, somehow I never saw this post, and I apologize. I will see if I can find her in the records.
My gr grandmother Katherine (Kate) Brown, who was born in CT, was a resident of the Hartford Orphan Asylum. Is there a possibility that there is additional information about Katherine? Thank you in advance for any information or leads to where I can find information of her.
Jill, do have an idea of when she was there? That would help focus my search. I would be glad to see what I can find.
She was born I believe between 1868 and 1870. She was there when she was 7 or 8 years of age. I do not know how long she lived there.
Thank you for your response Barbara.
Barbara, Another question. Was the HOA also known as the Catholic Orphan Asylum?
Jill, I could not find her name among residents between 1875-1886. There indeed was a Catholic Orphan Asylum operating at the same time, one for boys and one for girls. Where those records are, I could not say, unless they are with the diocese.
Thank you Barb for researching Kate Brown for me, much appreciated.
I happened upon this posting and was wondering if there is any information of three children showing on the 1910 census as “inmates” of the orphanage. Their names were Emory, Velma and Alvin Murch. I have found them back with their mother in 1910 after she married William Minzie. It appears that was the brother-in-law of the head of the orphanage at the time. I found that quite interesting that he perhaps knew the children and their mother from their time there. I have been unable to find any information about the children’s father but surmise that he perhaps passed away and their bother Rose McGuinness Murch could not care for them and placed them here for a period of time. Very interesting indeed. It you can shed any light on this I would appreciate it.
Martha, I was not able to find them in the records of the Asylum. I looked at 1909 and 1910 admissions and dismissals and never found the names. It would take a great deal of time to check years either side. I wish I could be of more help. In the Hartford Courant I did find an Emery Murch arrested for vagrancy in 1909.
Barbara, like many of the other posts I am researching my family and believe my grandfather and his sister were received by the HOA in 1910…I am interested in knowing what is the reason for their entry and when they were released…my guess is the were released in 1913 or 1914. Delia (8 yrs old), Arthur (3) Lamoureaux when they were admitted. The father’s name is important as well because we are getting mixed results via census records and such. Much appreciated if you could help.
HI Barbara – I’m in need of some searching too! My father was adopted in Hartford, CT, I don’t have much information as he had always been told his ophanage burned down with his records in the 60’s. I cannot find any info that leads me to believe that. The only thing I have to go on is his birth certificate that was made with his adopted parents as his parents on here, when in fact he wasn’t adopted until he was like 6, I’m not even sure his birth date is accurate. HIs name is Robert Paul Foucault, DOB 12/8/1942 – adopted by Paul Emile Foucault and Laura Mary Morneau. I don;t understand the birth record as it states certificate received for record on 12/10/42, but the bottom signed by Connecticut State Dept of Health was 12/6/1950 – 8 years later in Hartford, CT. I don’t know if you can be of any help to me – I’ve struggled for years trying to find any info leading to my ancestry. Thank you!
I forgot to add, my dad supposedly lived in the orphanage from 1941-1948, not sure how many existed at that time?
Kim,
I did not find any mention of a person named Foucault in the 1942 records for the Orphan Asylum, but the records are not easy to search and far from complete. May I suggest you contact one of our researchers for hire from our web page under “Research”. It will take some time to really go through the records thoroughly.
Hi! Maybe you can help me with some research. My husband’s great-great grandfather, Uriah C. King, was listed as living at the Hartford Orphans Asylum in the 1850 census. He was age 4 at the time. By the 1860 census, he was living with his mother again in Oneida County, NY, with her new husband and his half-siblings. Uriah’s father, who was also named Uriah, died two months before Uriah was born. His mother, Hannah (Rudge) King, was in her mid-20’s at the time, with both of her parents already dead, and her siblings all raising families of their own. The 1850 census doesn’t give any information as to where she was at that time, but her son Uriah was in the Orphans Asylum. By 1855, she was re-married to George Nelson Wadsworth and living in Oneida County, NY, though Uriah does not appear in that state census with them. He does appear in the 1860 census as living with them.
Uriah’s father’s parents, Samuel King and Mary (Clough) King, of Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, don’t seem to have helped Hannah and their only grandchild by their son in any way after Uriah’s father died, so I imagine that’s why Hannah put him in the orphanage, and then was able to retrieve him after she re-married. Uriah was a financial supporter of the Troy Orphans Asylum in New York as an adult, and named two of his children after his step-father, George Nelson Wadsworth.
I’d like to know more about Uriah’s time at the Orphans Asylum, and the year his mother retrieved him. Is this something you can look up for me? I’ve been trying to find a source for records for this orphanage, and this is the closest thing I’ve come across.
Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to offer in filling in the Orphans Asylum years of Uriah King’s life.
If I might also ask for assistance…?
I saw, in the 1930 census, my “inmate” 2-2/12 year old daddy, Harry Harris, in the New Haven Orphan Asylum, which I see has connections to the Hartford Orphan Asylum. He had a sister, Estelle, who I believe was adopted by a family in New York. His mother’s name was Rebecca (she died when he was eight days old), and his father’s name is Michael. I’ve found some of his mother’s family; but “Michael Harris” with no other information is too generic for me to find with the limited information I currently have.
My dad later went to the Jewish Home for Children, where he lived for many years. He’s mentioned in the book “Home” by the late David Epstein.
I really hope that you can help me; if you can’t, I’m still happy that so many people are getting help even if I’m not one of them. Thank you.
Hello, I have had a glaring hole in my family genealogy for may years. My Great Grandfather, Walter Amory Allen (b. 1-23-1884) and his three sisters (Florence, Jesse & Grace) were orphaned in 1894 when their mother Ada Allen passed (their father Alvin Edward Allen died in 1889). All three were apparently sent to the Hartford Orphan Asylum. I believe Walter may have been indentured, but can not find any records. If anyone can fill in any details for Walter or his sisters it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.