N is for Norwood

This week’s blog will cover the earlier history of the Jewish charity Norwood.

Today, Norwood supports over 2,500 people from children and families facing challenges in their lives due to additional educational needs, mental health or severe wellbeing issues to anyone of any age with learning disabilities or autism. Its history is a little complex and there have been several names changes over the years but, essentially, it is an amalgamation of two institutions, the Jews’ Hospital and the Jews’ Orphan Asylum.

The Jews’ Hospital [MS127/JHOA/MISC/6]

The Jews’ Hospital

Norwood’s history dates back to 1795 when two brothers, Abraham and Benjamin Goldsmid, started a fund for the relief of Ashkenazi poor in London.

Printed list ‘The original subscribers to a fund collected by B. and A.Goldsmid’ for the Jews Hospital [MS127/AJ1054/24]

Their efforts resulted in the founding of the Jews’ Hospital (Nvei Tsedek) in 1807 at Mile End. It cared not only for the sick but also the elderly, destitute and the young. Some of the earliest records we hold for the Hospital are the Governors’ reports of visits, a “Lady visitors’ book” and lists of legacies dating from 1810/11. As time progressed, the building became dilapidated and overcrowded and, in 1866, the Jews’ Hospital relocated to new premises donated by Barnett and Isabella Meyers in Norwood, South London.

Printed programme of ceremonial laying of foundation stone at Norwood, 6 June 1861 [MS127/AJ19/A/19]

For a limited period of time it continued its care for the elderly as it had done in Mile End; the Jews’ Hospital Pension Charity dealt with their admission and welfare. Soon after the relocation, a resolution was passed to allow the elderly inmates to live externally either in residences found by the Hospital or with relatives. This provision of care and a pension continued until the 1940s.

The Jews’ Orphan Asylum

The Jews’ Orphan Asylum was founded in the Goodman’s Fields area of London in 1831. It was original located in Leman Street but later relocated to Tenter Ground. At this time, there was sparse provision for orphaned children and various private individuals established organisations to provide assistance. These included the Infant Orphan Charity and the Orphan Charity for Fatherless Children both of which were amalgamated with the Jews’ Orphan Asylum around 1850.

Our earliest records for the orphan asylum date from the 1840s and include minute books and a “Journal of occurences”.

The Jews’ Hospital and Orphan Asylum

The two institutions amalgamated in 1876 as the Jews’ Hospital and Orphan Asylum.

Printed regulations with respect to the admission of candidates to the Jews’ Hospital and Orphan Asylum [MS127/AJ19/C/76/5]

Potential residents had to apply to the institution and were elected by the committee.

Orphan Aid Societies

In 1890 the Orphan Aid Society was established to collection funds for the Jews’ Hospital and Orphan Asylum and we hold documentation mainly in the form of minute books and financial records for several of the London branches.

Plan of Gabriel House and grounds [MS127/A4336/JHOA/MISC/6]

Gabriel Home

As we move into the twentieth century, we see a period of expansion. In 1897, major extensions to the orphanage took place when the Centenary Hall and new wings added to enable the institution to accept more children. In 1911, Arnold and Jane Gabriel Home was opened; this could accommodate fifty 5-8 year olds meaning that the institution was more able to accept younger children.

At the other end of the main corridor there is a nursery, a large room set aside for the children, wherein they can play table-games, and where they can enjoy quiet forms of recreation… In order to make the room as homely as possible the walls have been painted a warm cinnamon colour, with a deep cream frieze, and a large open fireplace of red brick, after the old farmhouse style… The play-room is one of the main features of the Home, measuring 41 feet by 18 feet. It is not proposed to furnish this room, so that the children may romp in it in wet weather without fear of doing any damage. Along both sides of the room are small wooden lockers wherein each child may store its treasures.

Information booklet on new Arnold & Jane Gabriel Home present by Mrs. Arnold Gabriel, 1910 [MS127/A4336/JHOA/MISC/6]

In 1928 the Jews’ Hospital and Orphan Asylum was renamed the Jewish Orphanage.

There is little information about the children at Norwood during the Second World War, especially once the children were evacuated to Hertfordshire. It’s not clear from the minutes whether Norwood accepted more children into its care once the school was evacuated. The best sources of information are the memories recorded in the Norwood Old Scholars Newsletters specifically, the February newsletter from 1970.

The building at Norwood [MS127/A4336/JHOA/MISC/6]

In 1953 the Ravenswood residential school was established by a group of parents of children with learning difficulties. This sewed the seeds for Ravenswood Village and, later, the Ravenswood Foundation. Ravenswood Residential Living Services is still in existence today, providing 24-hour residential accommodation, and a Jewish way of life, for adults with learning difficulties. The University does not hold any records for these facilities.

In 1956 the Jewish Orphanage was renamed the Norwood Home for Jewish Children.

From 1957 Norwood family homes were established enabling small numbers of girls and boys to live as family groups with house parents. We hold various records including log books and registers, mostly for the 1960s and 1970s. The old orphanage became redundant and was demolished in 1963. The family homes later relocated to North London and, by 1992, they had all closed.

Highbury House Babies Home and the Hostel for Unmarried Mothers

In 1963, due to a merger with the Jewish Board of Guardians, Norwood took on responsibility of all the children’s welfare services. Therefore from 1964 Norwood managed Highbury House Babies’ Home formerly provided by the Jewish Welfare Board and, in 1966, a Hostel for Unmarried Mothers.

Annual report for the Highbury Jewish Home for Friendless Children and Highbury Nursery Training College, 1934-5: at this period the Home was not administered by Norwood [MS127/A4336/NHJC/SERV/1/9]

Highbury House was a residential nursery which provided both long-term and short-term care for Jewish babies. Mothers in this home would often give their babies up for adoption and Norwood would have been involved in arranging for the baby to be adopted through the necessary channels. Additionally, the Girls Welfare Committee were responsible for providing welfare services for the girls and young women who came to them. The only records Norwood has relating to Highbury House are the admission registers, 1950-71; most relate to the babies home but a few were compiled by the Girls Welfare Committee. Highbury House closed in 1976. Norwood was not an adoption agency until 1998 and there are no adoption records held at the University of Southampton.

We don’t hold complete series for all the records so unfortunately there are some gaps. Our collections are open for everyone to use and people are very welcome to make an appointment to browse the historic items. The more modern material contain personal information about living individuals and consequently some of the records are restricted under Data Protection legislation. If you are wishing to access information relating to yourself, we will ask you to provide identification. If you are wishing to access information relating to another individual whose date of birth indicated they are less than 100 years old then we require either proof of their consent or proof that they are deceased: Data Protection applies only to living individuals. When we supply information it will solely concern the named individual and unrelated material will be redacted. Should you wish to find out more, please direct your enquiries by email to archives@soton.ac.uk.

The Norwood Old Scholars Association (NOSA) helps people who grew up in Norwood’s care to keep in touch with each other. It offers opportunities to get together and to support people in need. If you would like more information, please get in touch: Jack Matthews, 16 Hamilton Avenue, Ilford, Essex IG6 1AE. Email: jackmatthews@talktalk.net

Photograph of boys watching a football match, 1928 [MS127/A4336/JHOA/MISC11/5]