Introduction

This website contains transcriptions of the records of the Devon & Exeter Boys’ Reformatory and Industrial Schools.  Although the records are not complete, all admissions and discharge registers covering the period 1873 – 1905 are included.

For further information on the exact records covered and other records to be added, please see the Records Page.

Instructions

The home page features a search box enabling you to search for your ancestors within the schools’ records.  You have the choice of entering a forename, surname or both names. Once you click on the search button you will be taken to the results page.

The results page lists, in a table format, all the boys from both schools matching your search criteria.  Their name, age (if known), details of register and register number will be displayed.  Be sure to check if there is more than one page of results; you can choose to show more than 10 results.

Once you have located the boy you are searching for, click on his “View details” button. This will take you to the boys’ profile page.  The first tab will give you all the personal details on the boy contained in that register; remember to scroll down for further information.  The second tab will give you any details written about the boy whilst he was at the school and after his discharge.  Depending on the register, this second tab may or may not yield any extra information.

To return to your search results table simply close the profile page.

Within the search results table you may find that the boy appears more than once.  This is due to both the admissions and discharge details being available in separate registers.  You will be able to clearly see it is the same boy as the Register Number will be the same for both entries.

To return to the main search page at any point simply click on the ‘Back” button or the “Home” page link at the top of the page.