Catalogue description Records of St Margaret's House, Bethnal Green

The records include the following series:

SMH/1 Minutes of the Committee

SMH/2 Evidences of Title and other Legal Documents

SMH/3 Records re Structure of Buildings

SMH/4 Annual reports

SMH/5 Bulletins

SMH/6 Plans

SMH/7 Press Cuttings

SMH/8 Miscellaneous Printed Material

St Margaret's House, Bethnal Green

The records were placed on indefinite loan by St. Margaret's House in 1989. The date from the late nineteenth century and include minutes, evidences of title and annual reports. They have been catalogued by Gary Haines in 1999. There are some cuttings and pamphlets relating to St. Margaret's House among the collections of the Local History Library.

St. Margaret's House was founded in 1889 as a sister settlement to the Oxford House (founded in 1884) and to work particularly among women and children in Bethnal Green. It was run by a committee of Oxford women and alumnae of Cheltenham Ladies' College and was established at Mayfield House, 1-3 Old Ford Road. St. Margaret's House moved to 4, Victoria Park Square in 1893 but it soon outgrew these premises and moved to a large and rather dilapidated Georgian house, no. 21 Old Ford Road, in 1900. Further expansion took place in 1946 when the Trustees purchased no. 19 Old Ford Road.

St. Margaret's House ran a wide variety of clubs and services which were available to the population of Bethnal Green including pensioners' clubs, mothers' clubs, women's sewing groups, boys' clubs, cookery clubs and discussion groups. A day care centre and citizens advice bureau were also operated from St. Margaret's House. which continues as a community centre offering a wide range of activities and services to the local community.

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