Stockwell Orphanage

[a_reader2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 89612

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister" 
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:
(snip)
>>most of the scholars listed are from the London area. 
(snip)
> However, there are a number of pupils in ths list who come from 
towns and villages far outside the London area. 
(snip)
>Possibly therefore, Tom Riddle Senior was a Baptist (though his 
behaviour suggests that he was a bad one!) and so TR Junior finished 
up there. 
> However, a second possbility is that, having been abandoned, Tom's 
mothe went to relatives who organised her while she approached her 
>labour - in a hospital either locally or in London and that Tom went 
> to Stockwell after his mothers' death.
> 
> Plenty to chew on over this!

Carolyn:

Geoff, how fascinating; I hope your contact is enjoying this 
detective 'riddle' as much as we are ! 

I agree that it seems a bit of stretch to see any of the Riddle 
family as especially religious, whatever denomination. How about, 
instead, Tom's mother is taken in by the local parish when she is 
abandoned by her husband, then when she dies after giving birth to 
Tom, the little boy is left on the parish's hands, and the local 
Baptist minister suggests sending him to the Stockwell orphanage ?

It still doesn't explain why her wizard family didn't look after her, 
but it would at least get Tom to London.

Now, I expect you will be able to tell us how widespread the Baptist 
ministry was in the 1920s - was it all over the UK, or would there be 
any reason for it to be concentrated in particular areas ? Areas that 
might be possibles for Little Hangleton (which other research seems 
to suggest is at least a few hundred miles from London, possibly in 
Yorkshire, as most other directions land you in the sea !).

My other theory is that his father knew the birth had taken place and 
orchestrated the removal, to ensure this embarrassing child was taken 
as far as possible from his home - suitably Dickensian, and possibly 
echoing JKR's own family knowledge of what happened to orphans. 
Perhaps, as a rich man's son, some strings were pulled with the local 
clergy to facilitate this ? 

A further unexplained aspect of this puzzle is that the marriage of 
Voldemort's parents must have been quite well known locally - the 
heir of the house marrying a village girl would have been something 
people talked about. Although I don't suppose they were told she was 
a witch, there must have been some cover up story to explain why she 
was suddenly abandoned when pregnant ?

Most likely she was accused of having an affair with someone else, 
and it was put about that the baby was not her husband's, so perhaps 
she was sent to a home for 'fallen women'. It would be quite likely 
that such a home would be regularly visited by clergy.

Even more questions...as always with JKR.