Children's Shelter and Juvenile Remand Home

Children's Shelter (1884-1945) and Juvenile Remand Home, (1910-1945) Chatham Street

A Receiving Home was opened in 1884, first at 14 Major Street and then at Chatham Street, Piccadilly in 1890. This was a central establishment that stayed opened 24 hours, so that needy children could be provided with temporary accommodation at any time of the day or night. For a time it also housed the 'Prevention of Cruelty' branch and the Industrial Brigades. In 1896 'delinquent' children were brought to the shelter instead of to the 'lock-up'. By 1902 Magistrates started to remand children to voluntary homes instead of to prison. In 1909 the shelter was pulled down, adjoining land was purchased for £8000, raised by friends of the Refuge, and a new shelter was built which accommodated the Remand Home within its premises. In 1924 and 1937 provisions were made for the closure of the home, due to fewer numbers of children resident, although neither were carried out. During the Second World War the Remand Home was fully occupied, causing concern for the Refuge, and resulting in the Home only admitting boys under the age 14 for no longer than 28 days from 1 May 1942.The Home was closed on the 13 January 1945 and its premises sold. This was due to the increasing number of Remand Homes being established by Local Authorities, which provided facilities that the Charity, with its limited income, could not provide.

Includes Admission Registers, Building and Maintenance Papers, Administration Papers, Correspondence and Reports and Papers relating to Remand Home Cases.