Catalogue description THE SOUTHWARK DIOCESAN COUNCIL FOR WEL-CARE

This record is held by London Metropolitan Archives: City of London

Details of ACC/2201
Reference: ACC/2201
Title: THE SOUTHWARK DIOCESAN COUNCIL FOR WEL-CARE
Description:

The records which have been deposited here include minute books of the Diocesan Council and its Committees, files, papers and part of a library collection from the Diocesan Office, records of the two Diocesan homes, and of the local associations for Inner London. Most local associations have not retained case papers for more than twenty one years at the most. The only case files deposited here are adoption files for the Wandsworth Association for 1941 - 1978, case papers for St Mary's House for 1964 1985 and case files for the Putney Home for Mothers and Babies 1963 1968 and case files for Caterham and Godstone Deaneries for the 1960s-1980s.

 

There is unrestricted access to all published material including annual reports. Case books, case files, personnel files and minute books and files containing confidential information relating to individuals are closed. Permission to consult these records may be requested from the Director of Southwark Wel-Care. Minute books, files and other records which do not contain confidential information relating to individuals are closed for 30 years.

Date: 1894 - 1985
Arrangement:

A. DIOCESAN COUNCIL

 

Executive Committee minute books 1895 - 1904

 

Council minute books 1904 - 1964

 

Finance Committee minute books 1904 - 1922

 

Executive, later Executive and Finance Committee minute books 1917 - 1972

 

Sub-Committee minute book 1911 - 1912

 

B DIOCESAN OFFICE

 

POLICY AND INFORMATION

 

Illegitimate Children 1914 - 1976

 

Juvenile Offenders 1907 - 1932

 

Mentally Handicapped 1913 - 1934

 

Sexual Offences 1925 - 1934; 1976

 

Ethnic Minorities 1955 - 1962

 

Mother and Baby Homes 1957 - 1964

 

Housing 1966 - 1977

 

Moral Welfare Work 1934 - 1947

 

The Church and Social Services 1960 - 1976

 

FINANCE AND ORGANISATION

 

Constitution 1932 - 1953

 

Finance 1919 - 1972

 

Central Home 1903 - 1976

 

Lewisham Association 1941 - 1951

 

Putney Home 1955 - 1976

 

Stretton House 1960 - 1977

 

Cooperation with other voluntary agencies 1920 - 1979

 

Annual reports of local associations 1933 - 1935; 1959/60 - 1982

 

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING OF STAFF

 

General papers 1930 - [c1979]

 

Personnel records 1933 - 1976

 

Southwark Diocesan Board of Women's Work: files on Moral Welfare Workers 1922 - 1965

 

Papers of Miss Eilidh MacDougall 1895 - 1954

 

C LONDON AND SOUTHWARK DIOCESAN MORAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE

 

Ledger 1957 - 1958

 

D DIOCESAN MEDICAL HOME

 

Committee minute books 1909 - 1919; 1929 - 1935

 

Admission register 1931 - 1935

 

E STRETTON HOUSE (DIOCESAN MATERNITY HOME; FROM 1946 DIOCESAN MOTHER AND BABY HOME)

 

Annual meetings minute books 1935 - 1976

 

General Committee minute books 1918 - 1977

 

House Committee minute books 1930 - 1943

 

Annual Reports 1935/6 - 1976 (with gaps)

 

Case records 1969 - 1976

 

Staff records 1965 - 1976

 

Financial records 1973 - 1976

 

F SOUTH LONDON ASSOCIATION FOR THE MORAL WELFARE OF CHILDREN

 

General Committee minute books 1914 - 1950

 

Executive Committee minute books 1923 - 1950

 

Annual reports 1924 - 1949/50

 

Correspondence 1949 - 1950

 

G GREENWICH ASSOCIATION

 

Annual Reports 1958/9 - 1982

 

Files 1969 - 1974

 

Financial records 1948 - 1977

 

H LAMBETH ASSOCIATION

 

LAMBETH MORAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION

 

Annual meetings minute books 1906 - 1907; 1920 - 1947

 

Council minute book 1953 - 1964

 

Executive Committee minute books 1895 - 1943

 

Patrol Committee minute book [1914] - 1916

 

Ladies Committee minute books 1920 - 1929

 

Annual reports 1895 - 1959/60 (with gaps)

 

Index cards to case files c1940 - 1966

 

Petty cash books 1931 - 1937; 1956 - 1964

 

LAMBETH HOME

 

Committee minute books 1893 - 1932

 

Annual reports and papers 1910 - 1932

 

BATTERSEA MORAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION

 

Executive Committee minute book 1911 - 1919

 

Outdoor Work Committee minute books 1929 - 1939

 

TOOTING AND CLAPHAM BRANCH

 

Executive Committee and Council minute book 1935 - 1945

 

BATTERSEA, CLAPHAM AND BRIXTON (FROM 1964 LAMBETH, BATTERSEA, CLAPHAM AND BRIXTON) MORAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION

 

Executive Committee minute book 1961 - 1965

 

Cashbook 1951 - 1956

 

STREATHAM AND DISTRICT MORAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION

 

Annual reports 1954/5 - 1963/4 (with gaps)

 

Cash book 1963 - 1965

 

LAMBETH COUNCIL FOR WEL-CARE

 

Council minute book 1965 - 1971

 

Executive Committee minute book 1965 - 1972

 

H LAMBETH ASSOCIATION (Cont'd)

 

ST. MARY'S HOUSE

 

Plans and specifications 1969

 

List of records 1980

 

Admission Register 1957 - 1965

 

Case papers 1964 - 1985

 

J LEWISHAM ASSOCIATION

 

SYDENHAM FRIENDLESS GIRLS' ASSOCIATION

 

General Committee minute books 1895 - 1919

 

K SOUTHWARK AND CAMBERWELL ASSOCIATION

 

CAMBERWELL AND DULWICH ASSOCIATION FOR MORAL WELFARE

 

Minute books 1918 - 1965

 

SOUTHWARK, BERMONDSEY AND NEWINGTON MORAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION

 

Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Branch Committee minute book

 

1918 - 1922

 

Southwark and Newington Council and Committee minute book

 

1932 - 1937

 

Annual Reports 1929 - 1965

 

Bermondsey case book 1946 - 1958

 

SOUTHWARK AND CAMBERWELL MORAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION

 

Workers' reports 1966 - 1969

 

L WANDSWORTH ASSOCIATION

 

WANDSWORTH COUNCIL FOR WEL-CARE

 

Files 1953 - 1976

 

Battersea case books 1960 - 1974

 

Adoption files 1941 - 1978

 

Petty cash books 1960 - 1966

 

PUTNEY HOME

 

Correspondence 1955 - 1959

 

Case papers 1963 - 1968

 

M REFERENCE COLLECTION

 

Abortion and Contraception 1965 - 1975

 

Mother and Baby Homes 1964 - 1972

 

Adoption and Fostering 1920 - 1982

 

One Parent Families [c1932] - 1978

 

Child Care 1925 - [1980]

 

Housing 1962 - 1981

 

Social Security 1966 - 1974

 

Juvenile Offenders 1908 - 1973

 

Handicapped 1959 - 1974

 

Ethnic Minorities 1965 - 1977

 

Moral Welfare Work 1947 - 1970

 

Social Work 1954 - 1973

 

The Church, Psychiatry and Social Work 1960 - [1982]

Held by: London Metropolitan Archives: City of London, not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Creator:

Southwark Diocesan Council for Wel-care, 1970-

Rochester Diocesan Association for the Care of Friendless Girls, 1894-1905

Southwark Diocesan Association for the Care of Friendless Girls, 1905-1914

Southwark Diocesan Association for Preventive and Rescue Work, 1914-1932

Southwark Diocesan Council for Moral Welfare, 1932-1970

Physical description: 80 series
Subjects:
  • Social welfare
Administrative / biographical background:

Southwark Wel-Care was founded in April 1894 as the Rochester Diocesan Association for the Care of Friendless Girls. At that date the present Diocese of Southwark formed part of the Diocese of Rochester. Its object was to endeavour to link together the various associations, homes, and workers engaged in penitentiary and rescue work throughout the Diocese and to start new efforts where required. Helpers, both paid and voluntary, were needed. Outdoor work was carried out by paid trained rescue workers responsible to the local Ladies' Executive Committee "who visit girls in their own lodgings, in the common lodging houses, and houses of ill repute". Many of the local associations ran maternity homes and refuges. No. 125 Kennington Road was acquired on lease in 1903 as a "Central Home". It housed the Diocesan Office and provided accommodation for rescue workers, and training facilities for ladies interested in rescue work. Local associations were responsible for collecting and expending their own funds, but many could not exist without help from the Central Association.

 

In October 1904, a new constitution was adopted. The two central committees, one of men and one of women, were replaced by a Council. In 1905 the Diocese of Southwark was created from the western part of the Diocese of Rochester. Accordingly in May 1905 the Rochester Diocesan Association for the Care of Friendless Girls was dissolved and then immediately reformed as the Southwark Diocesan Association for the Care of Friendless Girls. In May 1914 its name was changed to the Southwark Diocesan Association for Preventive and Rescue Work.

 

Two diocesan homes were directly responsible to Council. The Diocesan Medical Home was founded at Woolwich in 1913 for the treatment of young girls suffering from venereal disease. It moved in 1918 to 80 Stockwell Park Road and closed in 1935. The Diocesan Maternity Home was opened in 1928 at Stretton House, Grove Park. It was evacuated during the War to Limpsfield, Surrey and returned to Grove Park in 1946 as the Diocesan Mother and Baby Home. It closed in 1976. Other homes were run by local associations.

 

The Diocesan Association adopted a new constitution in 1915 whereby representatives elected by local branches came onto the council. In February 1932 it changed its name again to the Southwark Diocesan Association for Moral Welfare.

 

A major reorganisation of the local associations took place in 1965 to bring them in line with the new London Boroughs. In 1970 the name Southwark Diocesan Council for Wel-Care was adopted.

 

The nature of the work of Southwark Wel-Care has changed considerably over the years. At first its aims were to help and to restore the mothers of illegitimate children, to rescue prostitutes and to save young women who were in danger of being led astray. In 1914 a special branch of the association was formed in order to help children in moral difficulty. This was known as the South London Committee for the Protection of Children, later the South London Association for the Moral Welfare of Children. Its work was transferred to the LCC Education Committee in 1950.

 

By 1934 more emphasis was being placed on the welfare of illegitimate children including the advisability of adoption in certain cases. The bulk of the work was concerned with assisting mothers during their pregnancy and confinement and helping them to support and bring up their child afterwards. Unless the mother was able to return to her own parents or to take her baby with her when she went into service, many children had to be placed with foster mothers. The number of adoptions increased after the Second World War reaching a peak in the 1960s, followed by a dramatic decline.

 

Official concern over the increased number of illegitimate births during the War was expressed in the Home Office Circular 2866 of October 1943. This requested local authorities to assist voluntary agencies caring for illegitimate children and their mothers. The social legislation of 1946-1948 did not provide services specifically for unmarried mothers and their children other than certain medical and maternity care which was given to all mothers.

 

In many areas including London, local authorities gave grants to assist Diocesan councils for moral welfare and worked in close co-operation with them. From 1971 assistance for one parent families came within the responsibilities of the new local authority social services departments.

 

In 1975 the object of Southwark Wel-Care was defined as being to promote the welfare of one parent families and other families with similar problems. Its provision took the form of casework service, mother and baby homes, and housing projects such as flatlets for unsupported mothers.

 

A considerable influence on the work of Southwark Wel-Care has been exercised by the successive organising secretaries, the principal official based at the Diocesan Office. In 1971 this post became that of Director. The following women have held this position.

 

Miss Frances Hogg 1894 - 1912

 

Miss H.M. Morris 1912 - 1924

 

Miss S. E. Pinney 1925 - 1928

 

Miss Lila Retallack 1929 - 1934

 

Miss K. Bromhead 1934 - 1951

 

Miss M. A. V. Raynes 1951 - 1964

 

Miss Phillis Thomas 1964 - 1971

 

DIRECTORS

 

Miss Phillis Thomas 1971-1976

 

Miss Janet Evanson 1976-

 

Miss June Simpson

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