Collection GB 0074 ACC/2983 - SUTTON HOUSING TRUST

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 ACC/2983

Title

SUTTON HOUSING TRUST

Date(s)

  • 1894-2000 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

15.16 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The Sutton Dwellings Trust was founded under the will of William Richard Sutton, dated 15 August 1894. Sutton ran a carrier business from Golden Lane, Finsbury and built up a huge personal fortune through wise investments and business expansion. When he died in 1900, he left £1,500,000 for the provision of model low-rented dwellings for occupation by the poor of London and other towns and populous places.

Owing to legal difficulties over the interpretation of Sutton's will and the administration of his estate, the first dwellings in Bethnal Green (at Sceptre Road and Coventry Road) were not built until 1909. Later London schemes were at City Road and Old Street (1911); Chelsea (Cale Street and Elyston Street, 1913); Rotherhithe (Plough Way and Chilton Grove, 1916); Islington (Upper Street, 1926) and St Quintin Park, North Kensington (1930).

In the 1920's and 1930's the trust extended its operations to other big cities such as Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sheffield, Birmingham, Hull, Plymouth, Bristol and Stoke on Trent. The original scheme was changed in 1927. The trust always included a London County Council or Greater London Council member on its board. The trust undertook a further change in 1975 when it registered with the Housing Corporation and from the 1970's onwards has developed many new properties in different towns and cities to those listed above. It is a registered charity and has its headquarters at Sutton Court, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5BB.

On 1 April 2004 William Sutton Trust transferred its homes to William Sutton Housing Association Limited (WSHA), a charitable Industrial and Provident Society. The group was formed in January 2004, with William Sutton as the parent and Tor Homes, Ridgehill Housing Association and Aashyana Housing Association as subsidiaries. The new group with nearly 24,000 homes became one of the largest Housing Associations in England with a turnover of £75 million and 900 employees.

Archival history

GB 0074 ACC/2983 1894-2000 Collection 15.16 linear metres Sutton Dwellings Trust x Sutton Housing Trust
William Sutton Housing Association Limited

The Sutton Dwellings Trust was founded under the will of William Richard Sutton, dated 15 August 1894. Sutton ran a carrier business from Golden Lane, Finsbury and built up a huge personal fortune through wise investments and business expansion. When he died in 1900, he left £1,500,000 for the provision of model low-rented dwellings for occupation by the poor of London and other towns and populous places.

Owing to legal difficulties over the interpretation of Sutton's will and the administration of his estate, the first dwellings in Bethnal Green (at Sceptre Road and Coventry Road) were not built until 1909. Later London schemes were at City Road and Old Street (1911); Chelsea (Cale Street and Elyston Street, 1913); Rotherhithe (Plough Way and Chilton Grove, 1916); Islington (Upper Street, 1926) and St Quintin Park, North Kensington (1930).

In the 1920's and 1930's the trust extended its operations to other big cities such as Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sheffield, Birmingham, Hull, Plymouth, Bristol and Stoke on Trent. The original scheme was changed in 1927. The trust always included a London County Council or Greater London Council member on its board. The trust undertook a further change in 1975 when it registered with the Housing Corporation and from the 1970's onwards has developed many new properties in different towns and cities to those listed above. It is a registered charity and has its headquarters at Sutton Court, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5BB.

On 1 April 2004 William Sutton Trust transferred its homes to William Sutton Housing Association Limited (WSHA), a charitable Industrial and Provident Society. The group was formed in January 2004, with William Sutton as the parent and Tor Homes, Ridgehill Housing Association and Aashyana Housing Association as subsidiaries. The new group with nearly 24,000 homes became one of the largest Housing Associations in England with a turnover of £75 million and 900 employees.

Records deposited in October 1991, with further accessions in 1998 and 2000.

Records of the Sutton Housing Trust, consisting of a fine series of minutes and accounts. In particular there are detailed registers of tenants (including information on income and employment), hundreds of photographs of estates and developments and correspondence giving advice from people such as Octavia Hill and Charles Booth.

Trust schemes and legal papers ACC/2983/001-019;
Trust minutes ACC/2983/020-054;
Annual reports and accounts ACC/2983/055-059;
Trust accounts ACC/2983/060-174;
Estate accounts ACC/2983/175-231;
Plans ACC/2983/232-233;
Staff ACC/2983/234;
Printed material ACC/2983/235-248;
Photographs: London estates ACC/2983/249-254;
Photographs: provincial estates ACC/2983/255-293;
Photographs: individuals ACC/2983/294-303.

These records are open to public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to closure periods.

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

This collection complements the official LCC, MCC and GLC records on housing in the LMA and the records of other bodies such as the Hornsey Housing Trust (ACC/1523), the Great Western (London) Housing Association Ltd (ACC/2863), the London Labour Party (ACC/2417) and the Peabody Trust (ACC/3445). In addition there is a specific file on the Sutton Dwellings Trust Estates in London prior to 1951 (LCC/AR/TP/2/121) and the library has some annual reports and accounts 1965-1983 (28.81 SUT).

For further details of the history of the Sutton Housing Trust see Harold Butcher and Ian Butcher, The Sutton Housing Trust, its foundation and history, 1982 (ACC/2983/239). A centenary booklet is available in the LMA library: P.L. Garside and Susannah Morris, Building a Legacy: William Sutton and his Housing Trust, 1894-1994, ref. 28.81 (SUT).

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

June to August 2010. Housing construction Social welfare Poor relief Organizations Associations Housing associations Social and economic rights Right to housing Urban development Urban planning Housing development plans Housing provision Construction engineering Building design Building standards Accommodation Housing Affordable housing Urban areas Building estates Tenants People by roles People Housing needs Sutton , William Richard , 1835-1900 , entrepreneur and housing philanthropist Sutton Dwellings Trust x Sutton Housing Trust William Sutton Housing Association Limited London England UK Western Europe Europe Housing policy Town and country planning

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Records deposited in October 1991, with further accessions in 1998 and 2000.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Sutton Housing Trust, consisting of a fine series of minutes and accounts. In particular there are detailed registers of tenants (including information on income and employment), hundreds of photographs of estates and developments and correspondence giving advice from people such as Octavia Hill and Charles Booth.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Trust schemes and legal papers ACC/2983/001-019;
Trust minutes ACC/2983/020-054;
Annual reports and accounts ACC/2983/055-059;
Trust accounts ACC/2983/060-174;
Estate accounts ACC/2983/175-231;
Plans ACC/2983/232-233;
Staff ACC/2983/234;
Printed material ACC/2983/235-248;
Photographs: London estates ACC/2983/249-254;
Photographs: provincial estates ACC/2983/255-293;
Photographs: individuals ACC/2983/294-303.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are open to public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to closure periods.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

This collection complements the official LCC, MCC and GLC records on housing in the LMA and the records of other bodies such as the Hornsey Housing Trust (ACC/1523), the Great Western (London) Housing Association Ltd (ACC/2863), the London Labour Party (ACC/2417) and the Peabody Trust (ACC/3445). In addition there is a specific file on the Sutton Dwellings Trust Estates in London prior to 1951 (LCC/AR/TP/2/121) and the library has some annual reports and accounts 1965-1983 (28.81 SUT).

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area