The material below is taken from the web page Unless otherwise indicated, content is copyright Peter Higginbotham and may not be re-published without permission.
Ancestry UK

St Thomas's Industrial Home and Orphanage, Oxford, Oxfordshire

St Thomas's Industrial Home and Orphanage was established in 1866 by Thomas Chamberlain, the vicar of St Thomas's, Oxford. The Home, for girls in moral danger', occupied premises at the west side of Church Street, just to the south-east of St Thomas's church. It was run by the Sisterhood of St Thomas who were based in Osney House at the opposite side of Church Street.

The Home steadily expanded with girls being received at a young age from all over England. The younger girls were taught in the kindergarten of the Sisterhood's own school, while the older girls attended the nearby parish school until they were of an age to be trained in housework and laundry work to prepare them for domestic service.

With the increase in numbers, new premises were built in 1881 and enlarged in 1895.

In 1906, the Home moved a few miles out of Oxford to Foxcombe Hill, then in Berkshire.

Records

Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.

  • None identfied at present — any information welcome.

Bibliography

  • None identified at present.

Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.