Catalogue description FIELD LANE FOUNDATION

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

Details of LMA/4060
Reference: LMA/4060
Title: FIELD LANE FOUNDATION
Description:

Administration LMA/4060/A. The main committees of the Field Lane Foundation which includes a run of Committee minutes beginning with the Minute book of Field Lane Sabbath School Committee then the Ragged School Committee and becoming the Management Committee these date from 1842 to 1984. The Articles of Association, and Deeds and paper from 1801 may also be found in this section.

 

Finance LMA/4060/B including Annual Statements 1930-1996 and Legacies 1881-1991

 

Field Lane Foundation Organisations LMA/4060/C This section covers all the activities undertaken by the Foundation including material from the Certified Industrial Schools, The Homeworkers Aid Association and the 5 homes, Eastwood, Holly Hill, Dovers, Singholm and The Priory.

 

Printed Material LMA/4060/01

 

Consists of Annual Reports 1847 - 1996, Publications and articles including material by Thomas Holmes founder of The Workers Aid Association, talks and tickets, programmes, posters and flyers for Field Lane events.

 

Ephemera which includes a hand written boys Beadle's journal from 1870.

 

Photographs dating from 1865.
Date: 1842-1996
Held by: London Metropolitan Archives: City of London, not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Creator:

Field Lane Foundation

Field Lane Sabbath School

Field Lane Free School

Field Lane Ragged School
Physical description: 405 Files
Immediate source of acquisition:

The records were deposited in 1998
Administrative / biographical background:

The Field Lane Foundation started out in 1841 on the 7th November as the Field Lane Sabbath School accommodating 45 boys and girls crowded into a small room in Caroline Court. The School was soon moved to Saffron Hill but was regarded with much suspicion and hostility. The teachers persisted and by 1842 the founder Dr. Provan has a staff of 7 voluntary teachers who helped lay plans for the future of the school.

 

The school was maintained by contributions from the teachers but by 1843 the committee decided to seek financial help with the aid of a Times advertisement. Help came from Lord Shaftesbury who served as President of the School until his death in 1885.

 

In 1847 the Field Lane Free School opened. The school opened from 9.30am to 12 noon and from 2pm to 4pm with an average attendance of 40 growing quickly to 70 within a year. Curriculum was limited but in addition to the Day school evening classes were started such as Girls' sewing class.

 

The school soon moved to larger premises and in 1851 the committee widened its activities to assist with poor mothers by providing suitable clothing and bedding for babies. Further help came with the opening of the Night Refuge giving accommodation for 100 and in 1857 a similar refuge for destitute women and girls was opened in Hatton Gardens.

 

In 1865 a piece of land was purchased on Saffron Hill and a new building erected to accommodate all the branches of activity undertaken. This meant with increased space a Day Nursery and Youths Institute were started.

 

The 1870 Education Act meant The Field Lane Ragged School was placed under the management of the School Board for London ending the association of Field Lane with day schools. However in 1871 Field Lane opened 2 Industrial Schools for boys and girls designed to educate and train orphans, destitute and deserted children. The schools moved out to Hampstead, the boys to Hillfield and the Girls to Church Row.

 

In 1908 Field Lane was incorporated under the Companies Act. In the post First World war years the Field Lane Schools admissions dropped substantially with the introduction of the Probation Service and in 1931 the Schools at Hampstead were closed. During this time however the work of sending children and families to the seaside or country for holidays had developed to the extent that in 1939 Eastwood Lodge near Southend was purchased with a view to becoming a Holiday Home. Further development was disrupted by the outbreak of war and much of the work in London came to a standstill. With the introduction of the welfare state many of the Field Lane services became state responsibility so the Institution turned to helping the aged. Eastwood Lodge was re-opened and in 1947 a house in Reigate known as Dovens was purchased and opened as a residential home for 21 able bodied elderly people. Along with Dovers, Holly Hill, Banstead was opened as a "half way" convalescent home and in 1951 the Institution took over The Priory, West Worthing which became another residential home.

 

In 1953 the Institution took over another holiday home 'Singholm' this time at Walton-on-Naze from the Home workers' Aid Association and converted it to a residential home for 43 old people.

 

All these homes have been involved in programmes of modification and extension to the buildings to increase access and accommodation.

 

The Institution also continued its London work in the form of Community Centre work with the upgrading of Ampton Street Baptist Church near Kings Cross.

 

The Institution became the Field Lane Foundation in 1972 and continues in its work today.
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