St Pancras Female Orphanage and Charity School, St Pancras, London
St Pancras Female Orphanage and Charity School was founded in 1776 to maintain, clothe, educate, and train for domestic service female orphans belonging to the parish of St Pancras.
From 1790, the Orphanage occupied premises at 108 Hampstead Road, London NW1, which in 1890 could accommodate 65 girls. Admission was by a periodic election of the charity's subscribers, with those received being between 9 and 11 years of age.
In 1904, Lord Southampton laid the foundation stone for a new building on the site, designed by E.W. Hudson and S.G. Goss. His Lordship was assisted by the Vicar of St Pancras, the Rev. Henry Luke Paget.
Former St Pancras Female Orphanage and Charity School, 2018. © Peter Higginbotham
Former St Pancras Female Orphanage and Charity School, 2018. © Peter Higginbotham
Former St Pancras Female Orphanage and Charity School, 2018. © Peter Higginbotham
Due to constant shortage of funds, the new building appears to have never been occupied to anywhere near its capacity. By 1930, the age of admission had been widened to between 4 and 12 years of age, with 46 inmates then in residence.
In the early 1900s, a group of the girls modeled the institution's 'old' and 'present-day' uniforms.
St Pancras Female Orphanage and Charity School 'old' uniforms. © Peter Higginbotham
St Pancras Female Orphanage and Charity School 'present-day' uniforms. © Peter Higginbotham
In 1945, the Trustees of the Orphanage sold the premises to the adjacent National Temperance Hospital. The premises are now occupied by the Margarete Centre.
Records
Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.
- None identfied at present — any information welcome.
Census
Bibliography
- Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain s Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
Links
- None identified at present.
Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.
