THE ROYAL PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETY, REDHILL: RECORDS

The archive comprises many of the surviving records of the Society and its school, other than those in current use, since their foundation in 1788. Particularly noteworthy series include the Annual Reports (1848-1976, with some gaps), General Court and General Committee Minutes (1793-1937), Finance Committee Reports (1856-1914), Registers of Admissions (1788-1967), Journals (1793-1848, 1896-1933, 1946-1963) and photographs (c.1891-c.1970).

The following is a detailed summary of the contents:

2271/1/ ANNUAL REPORTS 1848-1976
These printed reports generally contain a list of officers and Committee Members; Warden's report on admissions and discharges and the state of the school; tables of diet, occupations, etc; letters from emigrants; abstract of income and expenditure; and list of members, subscriptions and donations. After the First World War the reports were slightly reduced in size, but illustrated; after the Second World War they were further reduced, consisting only of the lists of Committee Members and officers and the Warden's report. For earlier published reports see Publicity and Publications (-/40/-).

2271/2/ GENERAL COURT AND GENERAL COMMITTEE 1793-1937
The minutes of the General Court and of the General Committee were always entered in the same volume. General Courts, open to all members of the Society were held in April (the Annual Court), July, September and December (Quarterly Courts), and dealt with the election of the General Committee and officers, approval of the accounts and Committee Minutes and regulation of the Society. From the 1880s Quarterly Courts were only rarely held. The General Committee, also known later as the Committee of Management, dealt with regulation of the school, admissions, disposals, supervision of correspondence, appointment of employees, election of sub-committees, approval of payment of accounts, etc. Meetings were held weekly to c.1855, twice monthly to 1885 and monthly thereafter (becoming less frequent in the 1930s).

2271/3/ SPECIAL COMMITTEE 1827

2271/4/ SPECIAL FINANCE COMMITTEE 1856-1914
This Committee met each year to examine the accounts of the previous year and submit estimates of future expenditure. Their printed (but not published) reports usually contain tables of income and expenditure, cost of maintenance, numbers of boys from counties and boroughs, pay and allowances of staff, estimates for ensuing year, prices paid for provisions, weekly returns, and farm and industrial accounts.

2271/5/ COMMITTEE REPORT BOOKS 1904-1963
These volumes contain reports on the school by visiting members of the Committee

2271/6/ BUILDING COMMITTEE 1791-1795
This Committee was set up to consider the plans for the buildings in St George's Fields, to supervise their construction and raise money for their completion.

2271/7/ TRADE AND FINANCE COMMITTEE 1794-1850
This Committee was known also as 'the Sub-Committee'. In Mar 1795 it was combined with the Committee of Resources as the United Committee of Trade and Finance and Resources, but from Jan 1796 the word 'Resources' was dropped. The Committee usually met weekly to receive the reports of the master tradesmen, the collectors and other officers; and make recommendations to the General Committee on the trades, premises, diet, discipline, candidates for posts, etc. The main trades were printing, shoemaking, tailoring and twine-spinning. The Committee did not meet after Oct 1847 and its functions were largely taken over by the Visiting Committee (see -/13/-/15/-).

2271/8/ CHAPEL COMMITTEE 1803-1813
This Committee was set up to invite and consider tenders for building the Chapel, and supervise its construction. It also dealt with the decoration and fitting up of the Chapel, the appointment of preachers, and repairs.

2271/9/ REGISTER OF APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION 1810-1833

2271/10/ REGISTERS OF ADMISSIONS 1788-1967
2271/10/ Early Registers 1788-c.1845
The information given in the early registers is generally: name of boy; age; circumstances before admission; trade followed, with notes on apprenticeship, behaviour, discharge and later news. The dates given in the margin are the covering dates for admissions: there are usually later entries. The position is complicated after 1802 by the establishment of the 'Reform'. Some boys were admitted directly into the Manufactory, while others (mainly those with a criminal record) were admitted to the Reform and transferred to the Manufactory later.

2271/10/ Admission registers 1841-1929
These registers (1841 - 1929) have the same or very similar format (printed), giving in each case name; dates of birth, application and admission; description; names and circumstances of parents; educational standard; at what trade employed; when and how discharged; earnings and rewards; with columns for remarks on behaviour and character. Every volume is indexed. Most volumes contain a few letters or newspaper cuttings, stuck in or pinned.

2271/10/ Admission registers 1929 - 1967
The remaining admission registers each have the same format, giving in every case name; offence; details of committal; date of admission; local authority; dates when detention and supervision expire; date of birth; home address; description; medical notes; previous court proceedings; probation officer; family circumstances; events of importance at school; and how discharged. Also in many cases notes by Warden on character and conduct.

2271/11/ REGISTERS OF DISCHARGES 1845-1852, 1880-1962
These volumes have the same (printed) format, giving in each case name; number; house; date and terms of admission; address of parents; date and terms of discharge; reports after leaving. All volumes contain a few letters or newspaper cuttings, stuck in or printed.

2271/12/ WEEKLY REGISTERS 1858-1966
2271/12/ Weekly registers 1858-1888
These volumes contain quarterly lists of boys in the school, with weekly summaries of admission and discharges.

2271/12/ Weekly registers 1888-1966
These volumes contain weekly summaries of admissions and discharges (detailing name, house and local authority for each boy).

2271/13/ DESCRIPTION BOOKS 1788-1849

2271/14/ ROYAL PARDONS 1847-1854
Before the passing of the Youthful Offenders Act, 1854, any boy whom the magistrates desired to send to the Philanthropic had first to be sentenced to imprisonment or transportation and then receive a royal pardon. In this section the place names refer to the court which passed sentence and the date is the date of the pardon. (Some of the royal signatures have been cut away - these are marked 'n.s.')

2271/15/ PRISON HEALTH CERTIFICATE 1849

2271/16/ DISCHARGE AND COMMITTAL WARRANTS 1874-1875
2271/16/ Police Court committal warrants, issued under the 1866 Reformatory Schools Act 1875
2271/16/ Discharge warrants, issued by the Home Secretary under the 1866 Reformatory Schools Act 1874

2271/17/ ADMISSIONS FROM COUNTIES AND BOROUGHS 1938-1954

2271/18/ GIRLS' ADMISSION REGISTERS 1789-1844
These volumes give in each case: name of girl; age; circumstances of admission; details of behaviour and discharge; remarks on later conduct and visits. The dates given in the margin of the list are the covering dates for admissions; there are usually later entries.

2271/19/ GIRLS' CONDUCT REGISTER 1812-1815

2271/20/ CLASSIFYING SCHOOL: REGISTERS OF ADMISSIONS AND DISCHARGES 1954-1961
The Classifying School, opened in Nov 1954, admitted boys from the South Eastern quarter of England (other than Roman Catholics and boys from the London area), retained them for a period of about three weeks for observation and assessment, and assigned them to other approved schools in accordance with their age, abilities, personality and background (see 2271/39/9). These volumes give in each case: name; age; offence; details of committal; date of admission; local authority; home address; description (with photograph in nearly every case); previous police court proceedings; probation officer; family circumstances; significant events at school (including general comments on character and conduct); and how discharged. There are a few newspaper cuttings and letters, stuck in or loose.

2271/21/ CLASSIFYING SCHOOL: ADMISSIONS FILE 1962-1963

2271/22/ CLASSIFYING SCHOOL: WEEKLY REGISTERS 1955-1972
These volumes give for admissions (on left hand pages) date, name of boy, reference to admission registers, and local authority; and for discharges (on right hand pages) date, name, reference to discharge register, and whence received; with weekly totals in both cases.

2271/23/ VISITORS' BOOKS 1853-1966

2271/24/ JOURNAL 1793-1963
The journals were kept by the chief resident officer of the institution, who was successively the Superintendent (1788-1841), Resident Chaplain (1841-1886), Warden (1887-1964) and Principal (1964- ). They deal in general with the conduct, punishments and rewards of the boys and girls; admissions, abscondings and placings-out; staff employment and leave; health; visits; inspections; special events; and suggestions to the Committee.
2271/24/ Superintendent's Journal 1793-1841
Regularly including totals of inmates of Manufactory, Reform (from 1802) and Female School.
2271/24/ Resident Chaplain's Journal 1841-1848
2271/24/ Warden's Journal 1896-1963

2271/25/ WARDEN'S PRIVATE JOURNAL 1918-1923

2271/26/ WARDEN'S ORDER BOOK 1949-1952

2271/27/ MATRON'S JOURNAL 1812-1836
The Matron was in charge of the Female Reform. The journals deal with conduct and health of girls; admissions and discharges; applications for girls as servants: health; leave for staff; etc.

2271/28/ REFORM AND MANUFACTORY JOURNALS 1816-1849
Reform journals, kept by the Master of the Reform, containing daily reports on discipline, abscondings, admissions, discharges, health and church services attended.

2271/29/ HOUSE JOURNALS 1850-1963
The masters of the houses enjoyed a large measure of autonomy, owing partly to the geographical separation of the houses and also to the fact that, in the nineteenth century at least, they were responsible for their boys at all times except when these were actually working in the fields or at their trades. The masters maintained journals for the information of the Warden and the Committee.

2271/30/ REWARDS, FINES, PUNISHMENTS BOOKS 1872-1963

2271/31/ LICENSING REGISTERS 1957-1970
Licensing (ie allowing boys to leave the school before their term of detention expired) was a responsibility of the managers but, under the Approved School Rules 1949, they were obliged to keep a register, giving for each boy: name, date of committal and expiration of detention etc with columns to record the decisions reached at successive reviews. All volumes are indexed.

2271/32/ DAY BOOK 1858-1962

2271/33/ EMIGRATION 1843-1874
Up to World War II the school encouraged as many as possible of its boys to emigrate, rather than face unemployment and the consequent temptation to relapse into crime. At first most were sent to Australia, but later the majority went to Canada, because the passage was cheaper. See also emigration expenses ledger (2271/36/3), and Annual Reports (2271/1/-).

2271/34/ PREACHER'S BOOK 1895-1909

2271/35/ INCOME 1794-1974
In general the financial records of the Society have not survived, and this section and the following two contain only chance survivals. But see also Special Finance Committee reports (2271/4/-) and Annual Reports (2271/1/-).

2271/36/ EXPENDITURE 1849-1942

2271/37/ OTHER FINANCIAL RECORDS 1922-1967

2271/38/ DEEDS 1793-1805
Relating to the property in St George's Fields. Deeds relating to the Redhill estate are retained by the Society.

2271/39/ OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE PAPERS 1884-1960
See also Secretary's Letter Book (2271/35/4).

2271/40/ PUBLICITY AND PUBLICATIONS 1788-1979
Although it received increasing amounts of government and local authority finance over the years, the Society's work has always to some degree depended on private subscriptions and donations. It was therefore always concerned to produce publicity material for the information of its members and others. See also the Annual Reports (2271/1/-).

2271/41/ PHOTOGRAPHS c.1891-1970s
These photographs have been dated from information supplied by Mr H A McCalman, Secretary of the Royal Philanthropic Society (previously Bursar to the School); from reference to illustrated publications of the Society and the dated album (2271/41/67); and from internal evidence.
2271/41/ Photographs used in Saved from the Wreck c.1891
Many of this first group of photographs were used to illustrate Saved from the Wreck, published 1892 (see 2271/40/16). All mounted on green or orange card.
2271/41/ Photographs from album c.1902
his group of photographs was originally in one album (in the order in which they are listed; but there were gaps in the album)
2271/41/ Other photographs c.1910-1970s
The remaining photographs are listed in groups. The number of photographs in the group is given in square brackets.

2271/42/ PRINTED BOOKS 1846-1881

2271/43/ NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS 1848-1974

2271/44/ MISCELLANEOUS c.1910-1920
These volumes are apparently in the handwriting of Revd R P McAuliffe (Warden 1918-1945) and presumably relate to his work with the Church Training College for Lay Workers, either before or while he was at the Farm School.

2271/45/ ADMINISTRATION: ADDITIONAL 1850

History of the Society

The Philanthropic Society was founded in London in 1788 by a group of gentlemen, worried by the large number of homeless children in the city who could earn their living only through begging or crime. The Society began its work in October 1788, placing one child out to nurse, and by 1792 were maintaining several 'families' of children, cared for and trained by craftsmen and their wives, in rented houses. In that year the first central institution of the Society was opened at St George's Fields in Southwark. It was intended for the sons and daughters of convicts, and boys and girls who had themselves been convicted of crime. In 1802 a separate 'Reform' was opened for the criminal boys and the main institution was afterwards known as the 'Manufactory', since the boys were principally engaged in the manufacture of clothes, shoes, rope and other items. The Female Reform, although on the same site, was completely segregated. The Society was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1806 (Geo.III 46 c.144).

A combination of financial problems and new approaches to the treatment of delinquents brought about important changes in the 1840s. The Female Reform was closed in 1845, convicts' children were no longer accepted, and in 1848 the decision was taken to move the institution to the country. This was as a consequence of visits paid to M.De Metz's Colonie Agricole at Mettray, France; firstly by William Gladstone (a cousin of the statesman; later Treasurer of the Society), then by the Revd Sydney Turner (Resident Chaplain; later Home Office Inspector of Reformatories). An estate at Redhill was purchased, buildings were erected (designed by William Moffat, the partner of Sir George Gilbert Scott) and occupied in 1849, the London property being sold.

The Philanthropic Society's Farm School, as it was now known, was organised on the house system, the sixty or so boys in each house being taught and supervised by a master and his wife. The original houses were Queen's, Prince's and Duke's, but it was later considered better to separate the boys to a greater extent and new houses were built in different parts of the estate: Garston's (1854), Waterlands (1855), Gladstone's (1857) and Gurney's (1861). Prince's and Duke's Houses were then closed.

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the school was classed as a reformatory, under the Reformatory Schools Act 1854, most of its pupils being committed by the magistrates and paid for by the local authorities. Farm work was the principal occupation, although carpentry, tailoring and other trades were also taught. The aim of the Committee was declared to be 'to assimilate, so far as the diverse conditions permit, the life and administration of the school to that of the great public schools of England', (Brief History . . . . 1899).

Under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 the school became an Approved School, under the supervision of the Children's Department of the Home Office. Around this period there was a relative shift in emphasis from manual labour to education in the classroom. The buildings were severely damaged by a flying bomb in 1944, but after the war the school extended its activities, and replaced many of the old buildings.

Most of the post-war developments were funded by the Home Office. In 1955 a Classifying School opened at the Redhill site. The country had been divided into four regions, and Redhill received, direct from the juvenile courts, all boys aged between 8 and 17 who had been committed for Approved School training in the south east quarter of the country. The Redhill catchment area was bounded by Norwich, Leicester, Bognor and Margate, but excluded boys from London courts.

The aim of classification was to identify the most suitable Approved School training for each boy. Classification included medical, psychological and psychiatric examination, aptitude tests and practical work in the farm, gardens, workshops, and kitchen, and in schoolrooms for younger boys. The average length of stay was less than a month, so hundreds of boys passed through the school each year.

The Special (Secure) Unit, later Intensive Care Unit, was established in 1965 to provide a secure, supportive environment for 30 boys aged between 12 and 17, who, because of behavioural difficulties, could not be accommodated within the Approved School system. The Unit was one of only three such secure institutions for boys in the country and referrals came mainly from London and the Home Counties.

The Society had been granted the title 'Royal' in 1953 and the Training Unit, Classifying School and Secure Unit were known jointly as the Royal Philanthropic Society's Schools. Each unit had its own head, under the supervision of the Principal.

Principal Officers at Redhill (called Resident Chaplain, 1841-1887; Warden, 1887-1964; Principal (1964 - ): Revd S Turner (1841) - 1857; Revd C Walters, 1858 - 1882; Revd A G Jackson, 1882 - 1887; Revd Canon M G Vine, 1887 - 1918; Revd R P McAuliffe, 1918 - 1945; L Weldon, 1946 - 1963; R Percival, 1963 - 1970; L H Crew, 1970 - 1978.

Secretary of the School and the Society: J Trevarthen, 1862 - 1918; W H Trevarthen, 1918 - 1928.

Secretary of the Society: Revd R P McAuliffe, 1930 - 1966; H A McCalman, from 1967.

Management of the Society and School

Under the Act of Incorporation of 1806 control of the Society was vested ultimately in its members, meeting in the Quarterly or Annual Courts. In practice the controlling body was the General Committee, also known (in the twentieth century) as the Committee of Management. While the institution was in London this Committee, and the Committee of Trade and Finance, exercised a close supervision, but at Redhill rather more responsibility was accorded to the Warden and the Secretary; although the managers always took a close interest in the running of the school. (See also the introductions to -/2/- and -/7/-).

Implementation of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969

The 1969 Children and Young Persons Act transferred responsibility for the supervision of schools from the Home Office to the Department of Health and Social Security. At the same time most Approved Schools became the responsibility of a local authority with either Controlled (two thirds local authority managers) or Assisted (two thirds foundation managers) status. At that time the Royal Philanthropic School was one of only three fully comparable establishments in the United Kingdom, the others being Kingswood in Bristol, and Red Bank in Lancashire. Each was a 'campus' establishment with Classifying School, Training School and Secure Unit.

After much discussion the Society opted for local authority control and approached the London Borough of Wandsworth which was known to be interested in acquiring control of such an establishment. Lengthy negotiations followed leading to the Society handing over control of its schools to Wandsworth in 1973. The Classifying School became known as the Regional Assessment Centre, the Training School became a Community Home with Education on the premises (CHE), and the Special (Secure) Unit became the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The head of each establishment was responsible to the Principal, who remained in overall charge of the institution. The staff were employed by Wandsworth which was also responsible for finance and maintenance of the buildings, while the freehold of the land remained the property of the Society.

From 1 January 1971, under the 1969 Act, the courts could no longer make Approved School orders and the Schools were absorbed into the residential child care system. Boys with behavioural difficulties were referred to the Assessment Centre for assessment of their needs, usually in terms of residential care. Under the new system the Centre housed 52 boys aged between 10 and 17 who stayed for an average of 6-8 weeks. The Community Home provided care, education and treatment in three house units for 70 boys aged between 13 and 18 who were sent under a Care Order and stayed for 12-18 months.

In the early 1980s new buildings were erected to house the Assessment Centre with open and secure remand facilities. At the same time Government child care policies changed. It was felt children should be cared for in their home environments rather than in residential homes. Cuts in local authority grants meant there was little money to place children in residential schools and numbers fell sharply. The licence for the Intensive Care Unit was not renewed because extensive building changes were needed. As a result the three units closed in 1982.

A new facility, the Philanthropic Community, opened in the new buildings. It was to care for adolescent boys from remand through treatment, to independence. The Community was housed in five units. There were two 12 bed units (Mountbatten and Belle Vue) for long term boys receiving treatment and education. The third, Red House, never opened. The remand facilities were in two 8 bed units (Cedar Open and Cedar Secure).

The removal of the Community Home to the premises north of the railway meant that the farm and all the land to the south were surplus to the needs of the Community run by Wandsworth. The land was sold in 1986, providing the Society with income to set up new projects for children in need. At the same time the Society began to feel, with fewer boys in long term care at the Community, that its resources could be put to better use. This led to the decision to give notice in 1986 to the Secretary of State for Social Services and the London Borough of Wandsworth that the Society would cease to provide the premises for the Community Home at Redhill. The Community at Redhill finally closed in June 1988, the year of the bi-centenary.

The first new projects initiated by the Society in 1987-88 were in response to perceived gaps in provision for young people leaving care. They were set up in partnership with Social Services Departments and Housing Associations in Surrey, Kent and Wandsworth, where a Bail Support Scheme was also inaugurated. The Society merged with the Rainer Foundation in 1997, becoming known as RPS Rainer. In 2008 Catch22 was formed by the merge of young people's organisations Rainer and Crime Concern.

Records under one hundred years old are not open to public inspection, without permission from the depositor. This restriction does not apply to Annual Reports (-/1/-), Publicity and Publications (-/40/-), printed books (-/42/-) or newspaper cuttings (-/43/-). No material from any of the records may be included in a published work without the consent of the depositor.

Deposited in 1963, 1964 and 1978 by the officers of the Royal Philanthropic Society.

An item level description of the archive is available on the Surrey History Centre online catalogue

For further records, 1789-2010, see 2524, 3521, 3741, 3998, 7363, 8994 and Z/574.

For more detailed surveys of the history of the Society see A Brief History and Appeal, 1891 (2271/40/15), Brief History of the Farm School, Redhill , 1899 (part of 2271/40/21) and The Royal Philanthropic Society's School , c.1955 (2271/40/24). For considerations of the Society's influential role in caring for juvenile delinquents see J Carlebach, Children in Trouble , London 1970, and W A C Stewart and W P McCann, The Educational Innovators , 1750-1880.