You may be thinking of Little Orphan Annie or Oliver right now, or some cold governmental institution lacking heat, decent lighting and edible food. If your ancestor was an orphan, you may also be wondering if he or she was cared for under such conditions.

From Colonial times to the early 20th century, orphans were considered to be in the same class as the poor and were dealt with in a very similar manner. Early on, it was up to local governments to deal with the poor or orphaned.

In Lancaster County, the Overseers and Directors of the Poor was established in 1798. The county almshouse was built two years later, and it was here that orphans were housed. Most often, these children were bound out to suitable families, usually to work as servants or apprentices.

During the Civil War, the need to care for orphans increased, so Pennsylvania Gov. Andrew Curtain established the Soldiers’ Orphans Homes. He was compelled to act after two soldiers’ orphans appeared at the door of the governor’s mansion, asking for bread on Thanksgiving morning in 1863. The Soldiers’ Orphans Homes represented the first statewide effort to provide for the education and well-being of orphaned children.

At these schools, children received room and board, decent food and an education. Lancaster County had four such institutions: one in Paradise, one in Mount Joy, one at St. James Episcopal Church, Lancaster, and the Home for Friendless Children, Lancaster.

James Laughrey Paul’s 1876 book, “Pennsylvania Soldiers’ Orphan Schools,” provides good descriptions of schools throughout the state and lists the students who attended them. Finding records of similar institutions, such as county almshouses, however, may be difficult. Although the records may exist, privacy laws limit what is accessible to the public.

If one of your ancestors was an orphan, locating records to flesh out their life may be challenging, to say the least. Although an Orphans’ Court existed in many municipalities, its name was somewhat misleading. The court actually dealt with probate-settling the estate of a person after they died. This process could include guardianship appointments for children who had lost a parent or parents.

Consider yourself fortunate if you find details like these: Clara Ottilia Johns was orphaned when her father, Levi Johns, died in 1857. Though her mother was still living, Clara’s uncle, William Brown, was appointed her guardian. A guardianship account filed by Brown in 1873 (now preserved in the archives of the Lancaster County Historical Society) lists several payments to teachers at the school at St. James, as well as what Clara was being taught.

In other words, it will take some luck to avoid being left out in the cold when searching for records about your orphaned ancestor.

Marianne Heckles is a research assistant at the Lancaster County Historical Society. Send your questions about how to trace your family’s history to “It’s All Relative,” Lancaster County Historical Society, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603. For additional information on genealogy or the historical society’s research services, consult their Web site at www.lancasterhistory.org.

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