Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1865-1936 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
34.87 linear metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The 1834 Poor Law Act led to improvements in the arrangements made for the education of pauper children. Poor Law Unions, and parishes regulated by local acts, were persuaded to establish schools and to appoint schoolmasters. The policy of separating the children from their parents (who were generally considered to be a bad influence on their children) and sending them, if possible, to the country was continued and in 1866 several Middlesex metropolitan authorities were sending children to schools outside London. The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1844 made possible a further development in this field which was of significance for the metropolitan area. Unions and parishes were empowered to unite and to form a School District which then set up a large separate school for the education of all the indoor pauper children of the constituents of the district. These were usually industrial schools where both boys and girls were taught the basics of a useful trade which, it was hoped, would provide them with better prospects in future.
The West London School District was founded in 1868 and comprised the Fulham, Hammersmith and Paddington Poor Law Unions. The Saint George Hanover Square Union joined briefly between 1868 and 1870; while the City of Westminster Union joined in 1913. The District built a school at Ashford, near Staines. The school housed 800 children.
Source of information: Peter Higginbotham at The Workhouse website.
Repository
Archival history
WLSD 1865-1936 Collection 34.87 linear metres West London School District
The 1834 Poor Law Act led to improvements in the arrangements made for the education of pauper children. Poor Law Unions, and parishes regulated by local acts, were persuaded to establish schools and to appoint schoolmasters. The policy of separating the children from their parents (who were generally considered to be a bad influence on their children) and sending them, if possible, to the country was continued and in 1866 several Middlesex metropolitan authorities were sending children to schools outside London. The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1844 made possible a further development in this field which was of significance for the metropolitan area. Unions and parishes were empowered to unite and to form a School District which then set up a large separate school for the education of all the indoor pauper children of the constituents of the district. These were usually industrial schools where both boys and girls were taught the basics of a useful trade which, it was hoped, would provide them with better prospects in future.
The West London School District was founded in 1868 and comprised the Fulham, Hammersmith and Paddington Poor Law Unions. The Saint George Hanover Square Union joined briefly between 1868 and 1870; while the City of Westminster Union joined in 1913. The District built a school at Ashford, near Staines. The school housed 800 children.
Source of information: Peter Higginbotham at The Workhouse website.
Records received with the records of the successor County Council.
Records of the West London School District, 1865-1936, including minutes and agendas of the Board of Management; minutes and reports of various Committees; annual reports; financial accounts; correspondence with and orders of the Poor Law Board, Local Government Board and Ministry of Health; correspondence and other documents regarding property; admission and discharge registers for Ashford School; registers of apprenticeships; returns and statistics of children in care; papers relating to education and teaching including correspondence, reports, timetables and syllabus; dietary tables; reports by the Medical Officer; issues of the Ashford Residential School Magazine; staff records; building plans of Ashford School and Park School; photographs of Ashford School and papers relating to the transfer of institutions to the London County Council in 1930.
In 14 sections: Minutes; Annual Reports; Finance; London County Council; Correspondence; Property; Registers; Education; Medical; Magazines; Staff; Plans of Ashford School; Plans of Park School; Papers of Isabel Thorne.
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Copyright: City of London
English
Fit
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
For the records of the London County Council, who took over West London School District institutions, see LCC. For the Fulham Poor Law Union see FBG; for the Hammersmith Union see HHBG; for the Paddington Union see PABG; for the Saint George Hanover Square Union and the Westminster Union see WEBG.
For a detailed history see website 'The Workhouse' (http://www.workhouses.org.uk).
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. April to June 2009 School buildings Apprenticeship records Apprenticeship register Disadvantaged groups Disadvantaged children Educational institutions Schools Industrial schools Educational administration Educational governing bodies School boards Social welfare Child welfare Government Public administration Local government Poor Law union Health services Care Care of children Visual materials Plans Building plans Information sources Documents Education records School admission registers Educational buildings Educational management West London School District Ashford Residential School Ministry of Health Paddington London England UK Western Europe Ashford Surrey Hammersmith Hammersmith and Fulham City of Westminster Staines Middlesex Fulham Europe
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Records received with the records of the successor County Council.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of the West London School District, 1865-1936, including minutes and agendas of the Board of Management; minutes and reports of various Committees; annual reports; financial accounts; correspondence with and orders of the Poor Law Board, Local Government Board and Ministry of Health; correspondence and other documents regarding property; admission and discharge registers for Ashford School; registers of apprenticeships; returns and statistics of children in care; papers relating to education and teaching including correspondence, reports, timetables and syllabus; dietary tables; reports by the Medical Officer; issues of the Ashford Residential School Magazine; staff records; building plans of Ashford School and Park School; photographs of Ashford School and papers relating to the transfer of institutions to the London County Council in 1930.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
In 14 sections: Minutes; Annual Reports; Finance; London County Council; Correspondence; Property; Registers; Education; Medical; Magazines; Staff; Plans of Ashford School; Plans of Park School; Papers of Isabel Thorne.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright: City of London
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
For the records of the London County Council, who took over West London School District institutions, see LCC. For the Fulham Poor Law Union see FBG; for the Hammersmith Union see HHBG; for the Paddington Union see PABG; for the Saint George Hanover Square Union and the Westminster Union see WEBG.
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
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Educational buildings » School buildings
- Disadvantaged groups
- Disadvantaged groups » Disadvantaged children
- Educational institutions
- Schools
- Educational administration
- Social welfare
- Social welfare » Child welfare
- Government
- Government » Public administration
- Government » Public administration » Local government
- Health services
- Visual materials
- Information sources
- Documents
- Educational buildings
- Educational management
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
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