Founder of the Stirling’s Children’s Home, Annie Knight Croall (1854-1927) is one of the unsung heroines of Scottish history. She was the daughter of the first curator of the Smith Institute, and came from Leeds to Stirling at the age of 19. A deeply spiritual person, her work for neglected and orphaned children started after she found a baby on the Back Walk, left there by its mother who had gone into town for a drink and had been arrested.
In the 1870s there was no social provision for children in need, and Annie Croall struggled to find the means of housing and sustaining those who were sent to her. She managed to purchase Whinwell House in 1890 and set up a Dorcas Society whose members sewed clothing for the children. Many of the children were put into emigration schemes at the age of 14, and sent to Canada and Australia. The Stirling Children’s Home continued to be run by a board of Trustees, until 1980, when the responsibilities were transferred to the Aberlour Childcare Trust.
Annie Croall described her life as “Fifty years on a Scottish Battlefield.” She is buried in the Valley Cemetery. The photograph was gifted by W. F. T. Anderson.
Comments(15)
Maureen Bundy says
12th December 2014 at 10:39 PMI have a copy of “FIFTY TEARS ON A SCOTTISH BATTLEFIELD”
Helen says
12th March 2017 at 7:37 PMHi Maureen
My aunt was in the home until 1944 I am trying to get her a copy of the books Annie Croall wrote and I believe there was 3. She had many happy years there and she loves to look back and she herself has written little stories of her memories there. I would dearly love a copy if you could guide me where to get them. I do so hope you can help.
Kind regards
Helen
NOTE: Hi Helen, I removed your email address for safety. If both you and Maureen have trouble linking up, let me know and I’ll pass the message over for you.
Best wishes,
Admin
Eleanor Mitchell says
14th November 2018 at 12:30 AMHi Maureen , do you know where I can get a copy of the book from? My grandmother and her 3 sisters were in whinwell from 1917 for 13 years and I am trying to find out what it may have been like for them in those days ?
grace burke says
21st February 2020 at 10:33 PMhi were the sisters penmans as my gran was their aswell with sister mary jean margaret and grace
Billie Graves says
15th May 2017 at 9:32 PMMy mom and her siblings were in Whinwell around early 40’s. I would really like to find out more. Mother is still alive but misses Scotland. We currently live in Nevada, USA.
Sheila Mackenzie says
30th January 2020 at 5:29 PMHi Eleanor, this is a long shot but were the sisters daughters of William Penman died 1915 in WW1, mother died in 1917? I am doing family research and if this is correct is there any way you can get in touch. Thanks
Eleanor Mitchell says
31st January 2020 at 5:04 PMHi Shiela , yes you are correct . I think you are related to my Auntie May McKenzie?? Her sister Grace was my grandmother ? I would love to search the records at the home as I think we could find out so much of what it must have been like for them in those days ! I believe you can see the records in Stirling . I have done quite a bit of the family tree and it is fascinating . Lovely to hear from you
Eleanor Mitchell says
31st January 2020 at 5:09 PMHi Shiela , did you get my post ? Yes this is the correct family
Eleanor says
4th February 2020 at 6:20 PMHi Sheila , yes you have the right family ! I think you might be living in Ireland now ? Your relatives are my great Aunt Mary (May)
Can this site share my email with you ? Eleanor
Eleanor says
4th February 2020 at 6:24 PMYes Sheila it is the right family . We are related through my great Aunt Mary (May) who spent time as a child with my grandmother and their 2 other sisters.
Diana says
15th February 2020 at 1:31 PMHi Eleanor
I have made contact with Shiela through Ancestry and she has helped me so much so can I jump in too, my grandmother was Margaret and my mother is Elizabeth and she has fond memories of being on the farm at Drip end with her Auntie Grace. It would be great to keep in touch and share family memories. I was just looking for a bit more information on the home and knew who you were talking about then saw that Sheila had replied.
Eleanor Mitchell says
14th April 2020 at 5:53 PMHi Diana, so lovely to hear from you . If I can be put in touch with you that would be great . Isn’t it amazing those sisters survived all thanks to Annie Croall . I have found out some more very interesting information too as to why they ended up in there and the events afterwards. I am on my heritage . Do you use this ? I will look out for your contact details . My mother Margaret is still alive and was named after your grandmother! She has many memories still to share
Pam McNicol says
6th January 2021 at 3:42 PMRecords of the Whinwell HGome are held at Stirling Council Archives. Anyone with an enquiry about the records is welcome to drop us an email at archive@stirling.gov.uk
Edna Mason says
2nd March 2022 at 3:26 AMMy cousin John Curry was in Whinwell Home.
Ken Auld says
8th March 2024 at 10:09 AMHi my name is Ken, I was at the Whinwell home I think from about 1968 to 1971, along with my sister Jackie. I have fond memories of the place. Mrs Richie was the matron. I remember getting a penny from her at the front door to put in my sporran, us all then getting march up to the Holy Rude church for Sunday service in our Kilts and Sunday best. The penny went into the collection tray. The Sunday school was also great because you could play with lego. Also I believe they used to hold back Christmas presents and then drip feed them during the year for being good. If you got the belt at the territorial primary school close to the home, as I often did, then you got whacked with a table tennis bat at the home as well, I make it sound worst then it was. The kindness of the staff is what I remember most. I made several attempts to run away initially but didn’t get far. I lived on the Cornton estate before the home, my Dad was not around and my mum had to work so I was a naughty kid. The home gave me a different way to think and made me determined to better myself, have not looked back since.