Showing 4868 results

This sub-series consists of various records dealing with the annual Orphans’ Festival. This festival began in 1853 in the Mechanics’ Hall. In later years, it moved into the Grand Opera building. The festival continued for 103 years, finishing in 1956. The orphaned and fostered children performed theatrical and musical numbers for the Hamilton community in order to help raise funds. The yearly festivals were successful, bringing in considerable amounts of money. There are two souvenir booklets from 1919 and 1920 which provide a detailed history of St. Mary’s Orphanage, as well as a list of festival sponsors. Articles about the Orphans’ Festival appear in the 1925 and 1926 issues of Catholic Magazine. These articles detail the importance of the festival. In the January 1926 issue, author F.E. Regan urged community members to attend and support the efforts of the Sisters. Addresses given at the festival also comprise this sub-series. These speeches show the spirit of the festivals and how popular and important they were both to the Sisters and to the Hamilton community. Ledgers of ticket sales provide a list of attendees, as well as how much they contributed to the event. Itinerary and sponsor information appears in the programmes. Receipts and invoices further show participating individuals and businesses, as well as their donations. Several festival advertisements and tickets also make up this sub-series. Newspaper clippings, photographs, and programmes are present in a large scrapbook.

The subseries contains Mary DeLoof’s memoirs of her life at the orphanage, including a description of the layout and daily routines. There are photographs of Mary DeLoof as part of the first graduating class of Catholic Central High School in 1951. There are newspaper articles about Isaac Hellmuth and some about the building of the new Motherhouse as well as "London City Life Magazine' articles on this subject. The subseries also contains information about Annabelle Leed who was an orphan, including photographs of her from later in her life and her obituary.

This series is comprised of folders, data cards and envelopes relating to each individual child in care. The files and cards include orphanage application forms, correspondence about individual children, and vital records, including baptismal records.

Photographs of the early hospital, doctors, the hospital chapel, centennial celebrations, aerial views of the hospital, and board members; also included are pink papers listing the contents of the albums and their dates, white paper with black print with timeline of St. Joseph's Hospital in London, list of Sister Administrators with photos.