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

Evenley Hall, Brackley, Northamptonshire

Evenley Hall, a large country house near Brackley in Northamptonshire, was donated to the National Children's Home (NCH) in 1941 but, because of its wartime use for other purposes, did not open as children's home until 1947.

The building was divided into five sections each housing a 'family group' of in the charge of a house-mother, with fifty-seven children being accommodated in total. The home had its own chapel and, as part of efforts to promote contact with the local community, open services were held at the Hall and at the Methodist chapel at Brackley.

Evenley Hall, Brackley, c.2013.

From around 1983, the home was used for young adults with special needs.

The property, a listed building, was sold in 2001 and is now a private residence.

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.

  • Action For Children (formerly the National Children's Home). Can provide access to their own records for individuals who were adopted through the charity or who resided in one of its homes. Help also for those searching for family history information.

Bibliography

  • Bradfield, William The Life of the Reverend Thomas Bowman Stephenson (1913, Kelly)
  • Curnock, Nehemiah The Story of the Children's Home (C.H. Kelly, 1901)
  • Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain's Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
  • Horner, Francis Shadow and Sun (Epworth Press, 1920)
  • Howard, Philip J Philip: a Strange Child (Dalkeith Publishing, 2007)
  • Philpot, Terry Action For Children (Lion, 1994)
  • Walpole, Cecil F. Golden Links (Epworth Press, 1941)

Films

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