Ashford Schools

[Lornagh]

Hi, I discovered that 3 relatives were discharged from Fulham workhouse on the Fulham Road in London in 1918. They had been in the workhouse for one week.
They were 3 boys aged 11,9 & 6.
In a note beside their names it says "to Ashford Schools"
I have looked extensively and while I can find mention of schools in Ashford I can't find much in relation to schools that take in children from workhouses and can't find anything at all about such a school in Ashford.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Thanks in advance.

[emmteeyess]

There seems to be information here - http://www.workhouses.org.uk/WestLondonSD/ - that refers to Ashford Schools as part of the workhouse system. Is this any help?

Cheers, MTS

[Lornagh]

That's fantastic! Thank you MTS

[Peter Goodey]

There are various registers of children in schools and institutions in the Fulham Board of Guardians (FBG) series at London Metropolitan Archives. The catalogue is online.

A few, but by no means all, are online via Ancestry.

[Lornagh]

Thank you so much Peter, I have access to Ancestry but cannot find these records, I will have a look at the London Metropolitan Archives as you suggest. Many thanks again.

[emmteeyess]

Thank you so much Peter, I have access to Ancestry but cannot find these records, .

The page link I gave above has a direct link to the Ancestry records, underneath the last picture - that might get you in.
It took me to a search page requiring names.

If you still can't find them why not put the names up on here - I'm sure we'll give it a go for you!

Cheers, MTS

[Peter Goodey]

Ancestry have only indexed the admission and discharge registers. I gather the questioner has this information.

Looking more closely at the catalogue, the only relevant files I can spot are:

1911-1920 Register of cases of children and adults in institutions and schools FBG/119/002
1920-1926 Register of cases of children and adults in institutions and schools FBG/119/003

I don't see these on Ancestry but quite frankly I doubt if they are going to add very much to what you already know.

One file that might be relevant (it depends what you know about their later lives) is

1829-1930 Indentures of apprenticeship FBG/109 FBG

[thewideeyedowl]

Hi and a very warm welcome....

There is quite a bit of info about Industrial Schools on this website:
http://www.
childrenscottagehomes.org.uk/industrial_school.html

There is a lot of advertising there, so you will have to re-construct the link. The website is run by a social history researcher with an interest in institutions, orphanages and the like for poor children c. late 19th century - mid 20th century. Click around the site for background etc; the site also includes an online Message Board, lots of links, info about accessing records [= difficult!], and a number of photographs.

Children sent to an Industrial School were prepared for a useful trade, so do you know what jobs these three youngsters eventually did? By the middle years of the 20th century this type of school was re-labelled 'Approved School' - you have probably heard that term?

Swooping off now.

Owl

[thewideeyedowl]

The National Archives (TNA) has an excellent resource on Edwardian education, and it features Industrial Schools:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/how-we-were-taught/
These pages are intended as lesson/teaching resource and you can download the lesson as a .pdf. When you click on Source 1 etc you get to an enlarged photograph and lots of info.

You can find out about the Elementary Education (Industrial Schools) Act 1879 here: http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/acts/1879-elem-ed-indust-schools-act.html
That gives a summary, with a link to the full Act in .pdf format.

Happy reading!

Owl

[Peter Goodey]

The Ashford School to which the children were sent was a workhouse (poor law) school. It was not an industrial school.

[Lornagh]

MTS, thank you so much, I found the records! In all my years on Ancestry I didn't know that they were there, I am an Irish girl researching my Cockney husbands family history, so I'm not that familiar with London related records.
I have spent the afternoon wading through documents. There are no records for Ashford Schools after 1905 but there are loads of other documents that I am looking through. I will post details of the boys later, I've discovered that they were in the workhouse multiple times, I am just trying to tie this information down and then I will post details.
Thanks so much again, Lornagh

[Lornagh]

Thank you Peter, that is very helpful, it seems that they are a family of plumbers, so I might find something on that link that you suggest.
Thank you agin, Lornagh

[Lornagh]

Hi Owl, thank you so much! I am overwhelmed by the warmth of welcome and helpfulness of everyone on here! I have been reading and wading through documents all of this afternoon, thanks to you and everyone that sent me links. In answer to your question, I think that the boys mostly had careers as plumbers or motor engineers. I have since found that they were in the workhouse 4 times, I will post details later when I am happy that I have the right information. Thank you so much again, Lornagh

[Lornagh]

I have found the following about the boys in the workhouse, in all of the records that I have found, the case number is listed as 19712, does anyone know of any records I could research to try to get more details of their case?
Also, over each of the 4 years that I found, they seem to be in the workhouse over the summer period (see discharge dates at end of post) could this be significant?

As always, many thanks in advance for any help, Lornagh

All three or a combination of the three were in Fulham Road Workhouse, Borough of Westminster on occasions between 1917 and 1921

William George Payne born 1904 - Listed in workhouse 1917 & 1918
Arthur Charles Payne born 1907 - Listed in workhouse 1917, 1918, 1919 & 1921
Harry Lantaff Payne born 1908 - Listed in workhouse 1918, 1919 & 1921

In 1917 the brothers were discharged to Ashford Schools on 11th August
1918 discharged to mother on 24th May and discharged to Ashford Schools on 1st June
1919 discharged to parents 1st August
1921 discharged to Ashford Schools 3rd September