Magdalen Homes — London W/WC Postal Districts
Although the term 'Magdalen' home or institution has become particularly associated with Ireland's Magdalen laundries, it covers to a much wider range of establishments. Rather than indicating the nature of these institutions' facilities or regime, it reflects the circumstances of their inmates — girls and young women who had 'fallen' (or who were considered in danger of doing so), primarily those who had become pregnant or involved in prostitution. More...
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 Location | Founded/ | Closed/ | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Home for Deserted Mothers and their Infants, 35 Great Coram Street, Russell Square, Bloomsbury WC1 | 1864 | By 1890 | Young women who, being otherwise of respectable character, have for the first time become mothers of illegitimate children. | 16 | no limit |
Sister Mabel Hostel, 1-5 Siddons Buildings, Drury Lane, Covent Garden WC2 | 1921 | 1938 | |||
St Giles' Christian Mission / Refuge, 25 Drury Lane, Covent Garden WC2 | by 1900 | Homeless and destitute; temporarily; free. | 50 | no limit | |
St Giles' Christian Mission / Refuge, 26 Great Earl Street, Seven Dials, Covent Garden WC2 | 1888 | Homeless and destitute; temporarily; free. | no limit | ||
St Giles' Rescue Home, 46 Neal Street, Covent Garden WC2 | 1885 | To receive fallen girls and to help them to lead a better life. Most cases passed on to more permanent Homes. | |||
Church Army Home, 27 Nutford Place, Edgware Road W2 | by 1930 | Girls passing to other Houses. | 25 | 16-30 | |
Church Army Home, 28 Nutford Place, Edgware Road W2 | by 1920 | Destitute and fallen women 5s. | 8 | 16-40 | |
Church Army Classifying Home, 29 Nutford Place, Edgware Road W2 | 1896 | Fallen women. 5s. or £2.2s. entrance fee. | no limit | ||
The Refuge or House of Probation, 23 Agate Road, Hammersmith W6 | by 1890 | Girls of immoral character who wish to lead better lives. Remain a fortnight or month, according to circumstances; 3s. 6d. per week. | 6 | ||
Hammersmith and Chiswick Ruri-decenal Refuge, 36 Glenthorne Road, Hammersmith W6 | c.1923 | c.1952 | Fallen and friendless; 5s. Local cases free. | 8 | under 30 |
Hammersmith Ruri-decenal Shelter, 59 Eyot Gardens, Hammersmith W6 | 1908 | Fallen and friendless; 5s. Local cases free. | 5 | no limit | |
Asylum of the Good Shepherd, Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith W6 | 1841 | Fallen women; two guineas entrance fee where possible. | 190 | no limit | |
Kensington Refuge, 2 Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington W8 | by 1912 | Fallen girls; local cases free. Diocesan cases by arrangement. | 10 | 14-25 | |
Kensington Refuge, 2 Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington W8 | by 1930 | Fallen girls; 10s.; also mothers and babies. | 10 | 15-25 | |
The Refuge, 3 Durham Place, Campden Hill Road, Kensington W8 | 1885 | Girls who have fallen or who are in danger of falling; 1s. a day. | 7 | 14-20 | |
Female Mission to the Fallen Dressmaking Home, 63 Milson (or Milsom) Road, Kensington W14 | 1879 | Young women who have not gone deeply into sin. Payment required. | 12 | 17-23 | |
Paddington andSt Marylebone Ladies' Association Home, 4 Lanark Villas, Clifton Road, Maida Vale W9 | by 1920 | Maternity cases; local cases preferred; 10s. | 9 | under 30 | |
Rescue Society Home, 205 Great Portland Street, Marylebone W1 | 1853 | Receiving House, from which the young women are transferred to the Homes of the Society. | 18 | 14-25 | |
Church Army, Park Home, 30 Homer Street, Crawford Street, Marylebone W1 | 1898 | Destitute and fallen women; 5s.; or entrance fee, £2 2s. | 8 | 16-40 | |
St George's Diocesan Shelter and Training Home, 8 Bourdon Street, Berkeley Square, Mayfair W1 | 1885 | Girls of the better class in difficulty or danger, who are sent on to other Homes. | |||
Mayfair Union Home, 8 Bourdon Street, Berkeley Square, Mayfair W1 | 1885 | Fallen girls; free from Diocese, a small entrance fee expected with others. Outfit given only to those remaining two years. | 25 | 15-25 | |
St George's Dioecesan Training Home, 8 Bourdon Street, Berkeley Square, Mayfair W1 | 1885 | Girls on probation, and others needing training, 10s.; some free. | 30 | 14-22 | |
Female Aid Society Mission House, 61 St Charles Square, North Kensington W10 | 1856 | By 1920. | Fallen; temporarily. A few cases with infant after first confinement, 7s. 6d. | 14 | no limit |
St Anne's Home for Ophthalmic Roman Catholic Girls, 311-317 Portobello Road, Notting Hill W10 | October 7 1910 | 1929 | |||
St Anne's Home, 311-317 Portobello Road, Notting Hill W11 | by 1930 | Girls who have lost their character through immorality or drink; free. | 50 | 16-30 | |
Refuge, 85/86 Portobello Road, Notting Hill W11 | by 1890 | ||||
St Mary Magdalene Home, 14 (later 26) Ranelagh (now Lords Hill) Road, Paddington W2 | 1865 | Unmarried women before and after first confinement. £16 per annum in advance quarterly. 5s. a week for child after six weeks old. Queen Charlotte's letter must be given with each case. Remain a year. | 31 | 16-20 | |
Church Army Refuge, 2 Devonshire Terrace, Paddington W2 | 1900 | Girls in need or distress, temporariliy; some free. | 7 | 14-30 | |
St Mary Magdalene Home, 30 Weymouth Street, Paddington W2 | 1865 | Unmarried women before and after first confinement. £16 per annum in advance quarterly. 5s. a week for child after six weeks old. Queen Charlotte's letter must be given with each case. Remain a year. | 31 | 16-20 | |
Rescue Home for Girls in Need of Care & Supervision, Winchester House, 20 Manor Place, Paddington W2 | 1988 | 1989 | |||
West London Mission Home, Winchester House, 5 Eastbourne Terrace, Paddington W2 | 1899 | 1913 | Fallen women (superior class); 7s. if possible. | 10 | under 30 |
Jewish Rescue Home Hostel, 1 Roseford Terrace, Shepherd's Bush W12 | 1919 | Unmarried Jewish mothers with their babies. | 6m/6b | under 25 | |
Church Army, Clifton Home, 127 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush W12 | 1897 | Destitute and fallen women; 5s.; or entrance fee, £2 2s. | 38 | 16-40 | |
St Marylebone Workhouse Girls' Aid Home, 241 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush W12 | 1908 | Women with their first or second child; free from Marylebone workhouse; 10s. | 10m/10b | under 25 | |
St Margaret's Hostel, 466 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush W12 | 1917 | Unmarried mothers of business girl class, with their first babies; 15s. | 10 | under 30 | |
Home of the Good Shepherd, Aldine House, Uxbrdige Road, Shepherd's Bush W12 | 1883 | Fallen women who have passed through a two years' Home, and who, from moral deficiency, are unable to shift for themselves; may remain for any period. | 30 | no limit | |
Jewish Rescue Home, Charcroft House, Roseford Gardens, Shepherd's Bush W12 | 1885 | c.1943? | Fallen Jewesses; remain in the Home at least one year; free; a few maternity cases received. | 15m/8b | under 25 |
Blue Lamp Refuge, 10 Great Marlborough Street, Soho W1 | 1891 | Fallen women; 5s. a week. Free from the district of Mayfair. | 6 | under 25 | |
Countess Dowager of Aberdeen's Home, 28 Foubert's Place, Regent Street, Soho W1 | 1881 | Fallen young women, especially those who have not long led a sinful life and who may be considered hopeful cases. 7s. a week for special cases brought by ladies, otherwise free. | 5 | under 30 | |
Refuge of Our Lady of Pity, 31 Soho Square, Soho W1 | 1885 | The fallen; temporarily; free. | 25 | no limit | |
Mayfair Union Blue Lamp Refuge, 38 Great Pulteney Street, Soho W1 | by 1900 | Fallen women; temporarily; 5s. Local cases free. | 8 | under 25 | |
St Margaret's House, 13 Burton Street, St Pancras WC1 | 1922 | Domestic servants; also mothers and babies. | 7 | 17-30 | |
The Refuge, 15 Heathcote Street, St Pancras WC1 | 1883 | Free; open all night. | |||
London Female Preventive and Reformatory Institution / London Have for Women and Girls, 2-4 Liverpool Street (now Birkenhead Street), St Pancras WC1 | 1920s | Friendless or stranded young women | 32 | 14-25 | |
St Pancras Shelter, 3 Crescent Place (now Burton Place), Cartwright Gardens, St Pancras WC1 | 1907 | Fallen women and girls; 5s. St. Pancras cases, free. | 8 | no limit | |
The Refuge, 301 Gray's Inn Road, St Pancras WC1 | by 1890 | Fallen women. | |||
Open-all-Night Refuge, 37 Manchester Street (now 47 Argyle Street), St Pancras WC1 | 1872 | 28 | 15-25 | ||
Refuge of Our Lady of Pity, 4 Percy Street, Tottenham Court Road, St Pancras W1 | by 1890 | Women or girls desirous of forsaking a life of sin; temporarily. | |||
Homes of Hope, 4 Regent Square, Gray's InnRoad, St Pancras WC1 | 1860 | Fallen women of previous good character before confinement; payment according to circumstances; free. | 15 | under 30 | |
Rescue Society Home, 45 Cartwright Gardens, St Pancras WC1 | 1853 | 10 | 14-18 | ||
Main Memorial Home for Deserted Mothers and their Infants, 49 Burton Crescent (now Cartwright Gardens), St Pancras WC1 | by 1890 | by 1949 | Young women otherwise of respectable character, before and after confinement; 5s. | 12 | 17-30 |
Homes of Hope, 5 Regent Square, Gray's Inn Road, St Pancras WC1 | 1860 | Mothers, with their first illegitimate children, after confinement; also preventive cases; payment if possible. | 20 | under 30 | |
Homes of Hope, 6 Regent Square, Gray's Inn Road, St Pancras WC1 | 1860 | Fallen women; temporarily; free. | 20 | under 30 | |
Lock Hospital, 283 Harrow Road, Westbourne Green W2 | 1842 | V.D., certified cases under Mental Deficiency Act, 1913; and maternity cases | 162 | no limit | |
Lock Hospital Recovery and Welfare Home, 283 Harrow Road, Westbourne Green W2 | by 1936 | Training in laundry and household work given during residence of 6 or 15 months, and situation found. | 12 | ||
Lock Asylum, Harrow Road, Westbourne Green W2 | 1849 | Limited to females discharged from the Lock Hospital, and willing to remain a year in the Asylum. | 86 | ||
Rescue Home, Harrow Road, Westbourne Green W2 | 1849 | Limited to females discharged from the Lock Hospital and willing to remain a year or more in the Home. | 70 | 16-25 | |
House of Help, 1 Great Scotland Yard, Westminster SW1 | 1909 | Fallen women; temporarily, | 8 | 14-30 |
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