A DARK place where terrible things happened, ruled over with a rod of iron - illegitimate children torn from their mother's breast at barely six weeks old and heavily pregnant women sleeping in doorways in the street.

It sounds like the stuff of middle ages fantasy - but it all happened in Lancaster, in the last century, and one Lancashire woman wants to discover more so she can find out about her own history.

Marion Harrison was born in a house on Queen Street in the city 60 years ago, during the Second World War.

Like many other wartime children, Marion, who now lives near Clitheroe, grew up not suspecting that she was adopted after her mother travelled miles from home to give birth to her.

"I didn't find out until I left home at the age of 15, and I think a lot of other people will have found out the same way, or when their parents died."

The house, then owned by the diocese of Blackburn, was a home for women giving birth to 'unwanted' children.

Marion has little information on her own mother, but believes she may have come from Birmingham.

Women would spend no more than six weeks with their babies, who were given up for adoption as soon as possible.

It was run on strict terms, with the woman in charge ordering the young mothers to do washing and cleaning before unceremoniously turfing them out.

"Even the Bishop of Blackburn had no idea about it," said Marion: "People don't know about it.

They were supposedly unmarried mothers who came from all parts of the country."

Marion was reminded of her past when she had to find her birth certificate in order to claim her pension, but she believes many more of the Queen Street children will be discovering more about their origins as they reach retirement age and need a birth certificate.

Marion has travelled to Lancaster to investigate - hearing from an elderly man how mothers were not allowed into the house until just before they gave birth, forcing some to take refuge in nearby doorways.

There was an old lady who lived on the street who said it was a horrible place," added Marion: "After six weeks, everybody just vanished - mothers and babies."

She knocked on the door of the house, to be met by a group of students who had heard stories of the house's past - even callling it a 'house of ill-repute'.

Marion is now keen to hear from anyone who can tell her more about the house, as well as other Queen Street children.

"I would love it if all the children who were born there could meet up and see how they went on," added Marion.

Anyone who wants to write to Marion should write to the Citizen and we will forward it on.