Turner's Free School for Poor Boys

Turner's Free School was established under the control of seven trustees, by the bequest of Richard Turner, citizen and haberdasher (will proved P.C.C. 1768). It took the place of the Norton Folgate Charity School, of which Turner had been Treasurer, which was situated in the old court house of the Liberty of Norton Folgate. The school moved to 4 Primrose Street in 1775. It aimed to educate the children of the poor of the area in reading, writing, accounting and church catechism.

Under a scheme of the Charity Commissioners sealed 28 June 1880, the funds of the charity were diverted to the further training of female pupil teachers at church training colleges, providing "Turner's Exhibitions" held over a two year period, preference being given to candidates from the parishes of St Mary, Spital Square, St Botolph Bishopsgate, Shoreditch, Spitalfields and Bethnal Green. In 1902 supervision of the charity was transferred to the Board of Education and various amendments were made

Under a new Charity Commissioners Scheme, sealed 16 August 1927, the exhibitions could be held at any places of education higher than elementary, not necessarily Church of England institutions. Since the Education Act of 1944 the funds of the charity have been allocated to training and further educating college students and secondary and grammar school pupils in financial need. For a more detailed account of the history of the charity see Ms 18608.