Ancestry UK

Mother and Baby Homes — London SE/SW Postal Districts

The establishments listed below are believed to have provided at least some accommodation for unmarried mothers and their babies, during at least some of their existence. They include maternity homes, before-and-after-confinement care homes, hostels for pregnant working girls or working mothers, and Irish County Homes. Homes that in their day were labelled Magdalen Homes are listed elsewhere.

Where applicable, the 'Places' column shows the accommodation provided for mothers and babies (exact figures could change over time).
Note that over the years, many institutions changed location and/or name, sometimes more than once. The accommodation provided, age of those admitted etc. at a home could also vary.

Name and LocationFounded/OpenedClosed/MovedClasses Received, Weekly fees, etc.PlacesAdmission Age
Female Aid Society Mission House / Wandsworth and Battersea Ladies' Association, 3-4 Chivalry Road, Battersea Rise, Battersea SW111880 Fallen; temporary Refuge. Maternity cases received before and after confinement.20under 30
St Mary's House, 9 Vicarage Road (now Crescent), Battersea SW11by 1920    
Maternity Hospital, 145 Brixton Hill, Brixton SW2by 1900 Maternity cases; before and after a first confinement; 5s.8 
Home for Mothers and Babies, 9 Stansfield Road, Brixton SW91885 To receive young women of otherwise good character before or after confinement, and restore them, if possible, to their former position. Child boarded out at mother's expense.  
Ballantyne, Lushington Road, Catford SE5by 1964 Before and After Care Home.43m/24bover 16
St Mary's Home, 15 Wellington Square, King's Road, Chelsea SW3by 1900 Maternity cases, before or after confinement. First cases only. Young servants and girls to be placed in service.8under 25
St Mary's Home, 18 Oakley Crescent, Manor Street, Chelsea SW31889By 1900Maternity cases, before or after confinement. First cases only. Young servants and girls to be placed in service.8under 25
Day Servants' Hostel, 31 Danvers Street, Chelsea SW31912 Unmarried mothers with their babies.15no limit
Fellowship of St Michael and All Angels, 5 Bloomfield Terrace, Chelsea SW1by 1964 Before and After Care Home.18m/6b 
St Monica's Maternity Home, 8 Bramerton Street, Chelsea SW3by 1912 First confinement cases, 7s. and £1 fee; local cases free.6under 25
Maternity Home for Deaf and Dumb Girls, Dunbar Lodge, 20 King's Avenue, Clapham SW41928 Deaf and dumb unmarried mothers with their babies; also deaf and dumb girls in moral danger.17no limit
Home of the Society of the Good Shepherd, 35 Cedars Road, Clapham SW41896 Friendless and fallen women; chiefly maternity cases; 52. before and 7s. 6d. after confinement. A few local cases free.2515-30
Clapham Maternity Hospital, 41 Jeffrey's Road, Clapham SW41889 Married women and young girls with first baby, if hitherto respectable. Patients received on commencement of labour.12no limit
Mothercraft Hostel, 49 North Side, Clapham Common SW11by 1949 After Care Hostel.18m/18b 
Battersea Hostel, St Mary's House, 32 Macaulay Road, Clapham Common SW41918 Mothers and babies; also pre-natal cases; local cases 10s.6d.; others from 12s.6d.16m/6bno limit
Camberwell Home, 24 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill SE519091925First fall cases; those from Southwark diocese 6s., others 7s. 6d.; without baby 5s.; stay three months.10m/2b14-25
Home of the Good Shepherd, 63 Ongar Road, Fulham SW61901 Maternity cases; from 6s.10no limit
Southwark Diocesan Maternity Home, Stretton House, 273 Baring Road, Grove Park SE121928 Unmarried expectant mothers (first time); from 10s.; remain 3-4 months after confinement.22/12under 30
Rochester Diocesan Association for the Care of Friendless Girls, 127 Kennington Road, Lambeth SE11888 Girls who have been previously respectable before a first confinement. Local and diocesan cases, 5s.9m/4bunder 24
St Thomas' Hostel / Northcote Trust Hostel, 148 Lambeth Road, Lambeth SE11919 V.D. cases; payment by arrangement.13/4bno limit
St Anne's Shelter, 26 Berwick Street, Pimlico SW11889 Maternity cases; temporarily; 7s.6no limit
Home for Deserted Mothers and Infants, 3 Cumberland Street, Pimlico SW1by 1870    
House of Compassion, 63 Sutherland Street, Pimlico SW11883By 1935Maternity cases before and after a first confinement only, and with previous good character; 6s. to 7s.; remain six to twelve months.11under 25
St Anne's Shelter, 67 Denbigh Street, Pimlico SW1by 1920 Maternity cases; temporarily; 10s.6no limit
Pimlico Ladies' Association, St Elizabeth's Home, 40 Bessborough Street, Pimlico SW1by 1912By 1930Maternity cases; first confinement, 7s.; remain not less than six months.1016-22
Pimlico Ladies' Association, St John Baptist's Home, 162 Ebury Street, Pimlico SW11890By 1930Maternity cases before or after first confinement; remain six months or longer; 7s.11m/6b15-25
Pimlico Ladies' Association, St John the Baptist Shelter, 16 Ranelagh Grove, Pimlico SW11890By 1900.Deserted mothers with their infants (only after confinement); remain about six weeks; 5s. to 7s.4under 25
Southwark Diocesan Home and Hostel, 14 Spencer Road / 15 Spencer Walk, Putney SW15by 1930 Mothers and babies; Diocesan cases, 10s.; others, 12s. 6d.8m/8bno limit
Putney Home for Mothers and Babies, 15 Genoa Avenue, Putney SW15by 1964 Before and After Care Home.12m/8b 
Southern Diocesan Home and Hostel, 82 Chelverton Street, Putney SW15by 1920 Mothers and babies, 10s.6m/6bunder 30
Beechwood, Putney Heath Lane, Putney SW15by 1964 Before and After Care Home.15m/7b 
Anchorage/Cleevedon Maternity Home, 16-18 Tennison Road, South Norwood SE25by 19531966For unmarried expectant mothers, and babies under two years of age.16m/20b 
The Retreat, 19 (later 35) Ross Road, South Norwood SE251916by 1953Girls before birth of first baby; remain three months after confinement; 12s. 6d. and £1 1s. fee.30 bedsno limit
Southwark Diocesan Home, 47 Haydon's Road, South Wimbledon SW191901 Fallen girls; 5s.; confinement fees, £1 1s. local cases free. 5s.; local cases free.12under 25
Southwark Diocesan Home, 56 Gap Road, South Wimbledon SW191901 Fallen girls; 10s. and maternity benefit.12under 25
House of Help, 201 Camberwell Grove, Southwark SE5by 1920 Young unmarried mothers with their babies; 13s. 6d.16no limit
Guy's Hospital Hostel, St Thomas' Street, Southwark SE1by 1912 Patients and others (with first children only), desiring amendment of life.  
St Joseph's Home for Mothers and Babies, 188 Clapham Road, Stockwell SW91922 R.C. unmarried expectant mothers and mothers with their babies on leaving hospital, first cases only; payment according to circumstances.1015-25
Carisbrooke, 149 Upper Tulse Hill, Streatham SW2by 1949 Before and After Care Home.24m/12b 
Mother and Baby Home, 10 Rutford Road, Streatham SW16by 1949 Before and After Care Home.13m/7b 
The Babies' Home, 131 Upper Tulse Hill, Streatham SW2  For unmarried mothers and their babies.  
St Anne Mother and Baby Home, 144 Leigham Court Road, Streatham SW16by 1949 Before and After Home.20m/10b 
St Christopher's, 179 Tulse Hill, Streatham SW2by 1953 Before and After Care Home.12m/12b 
Annesley House, 22A Christchurch Road, Streatham SW2by 1964 Hostel for Working Pregnant Girls.15 
The Limes, 5 PalaceRoad, Streatham SW2by 1964 Before and After Care Home.15over 15
Brent House, 6 North Drive, Streatham SW16by 1964 Before and After Care Home.21m/14b18
St Mary Magdalen Refuge, Russell House, Tooting Bec Gardens, Streatham SW161888 Penitent fallen women; free, on application by letter to the Warden or Head Matron; remain two years.35under 40
Princess Alice Emergency Hostel for Mothers and Babies, Castlebar, 46 Sydenham Hill, Sydenham SE26by 1949 Before and After Care Home.40m/20b 
The Lambeth Home, 11 St Nicholas Street, Upper Tooting SW7by 1920 Mothers with their babies; remain one year if possible; from 10s.814-25
Victoria Emergency Hostel, 76 Warwick Way, Victoria SW1by 1964 Shelter for Emergency and Post-natal Cases9mover 16
Church Army Home, 64 St Ann's Hill, Wandsworth SW181915 Unmarried mothers with babies; 10s.9under 30
Unmarried Expectant Mother Home, Grove House, 1 Bolingbroke Grove, Wandsworth Common SW11by 1964 Hostel for Working Pregnant Girls.1615-25