Staffordshire House, Bloomsbury, London
In 1907, London's Bourne & Hollingsworth department store opened Staffordshire House, a hostel for its female employees. The purpose-built, five-storey premises were located at at South Crescent, Store Street, Bloomsbury.
The accommodation included a recreation room, marble bathrooms, dining room and model laundry. Among its facilities were a bicycle storage room, an open fives court, a library, writing rooms, etc. The bedrooms were of three sizes, containing one, two and three beds, and each assistant had a separate dressing table, chest of drawers and wash-stand.
The Staffordshire House site is shown on the 1911 map below.
Staffordshire House site, Bloomsbury, c.1911.
Staffordshire House, Bloomsbury, London, 2018.
Staffordshire House, Bloomsbury - seniors' room, London, c.1907. © Peter Higginbotham
Staffordshire House, Bloomsbury - lounge, c.1907. © Peter Higginbotham
Staffordshire House, Bloomsbury - library, c.1907. © Peter Higginbotham
Staffordshire House, Bloomsbury - laundry, c.1907. © Peter Higginbotham
The use of Staffordshire House was phased out in 1912, following the opening of company's new and larger hostel, Warwickshire House, on Gower Street
In November 1914, following the start of the First World War, Staffordshire House was adapted and equipped to serve as a 400-bed hospital for the care of wounded Belgian soldiers.
The property was subsequently converted to private residential use.
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
- Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain s Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
Links
- None identified at present.
Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.
