Oakdale House, House of Help for Friendless Women and Girls, Sheffield

X158

Oakdale House, House of Help for Friendless Women and Girls, Sheffield

1886 - 2003

Minutes and Agenda:

Executive Committee, 1904 - 1934 (X158/1/1)

General Committee, 1901 - 1956 (X158/1/2)

Committee and House Committee, 1956 - 1970 (X158/1/3)

Committee, 1972 - 2003 (X158/1/4)

Annual General Meeting, 1993 - 2003 (X158/1/5)

Agenda, c. 1904 - 2000 (X158/1/6)

Annual Reports:

Reports, 1892 - 2003 (X158/2)

Financial Records:

General Account Ledgers, 1886 - 1952 (X158/3/1)

Cash Day Books,1899 - 1901 (X158/3/2)

Petty Cash Books, 1938 - 1940, 1943 - 1957 (X158/3/3)

Annual Account Statements 1958 - 1963 (X158/3/4)

Day Books:

Books, 1957 - 1961, 1989 - 1994 (X158/4)

Residents' Papers:

Case Books, 1888 - 1913, 1915 - 1934, 1942 - 1955 (X158/5/1)

Placement Records, 1893 - 1915 (X158/5/2)

Workhouse Visit Books, 1908 - 1910 (X158/5/3)

Admission and Discharges, 1911, 1921 (X158/5/4)

Ephemera:

Various, 1886 - [20th cent] (X158/6)

Photographs:

Various, [20th cent] (X157/7)

English

Information in resident and staff records may be subject to access restrictions under the General Data Protection Regulation. For further information, please contact Sheffield City Archives.

The House of Help for Friendless Girls and Young Women and Mission Registry was created by the extension of a Free Registry which was set up in the late 1880s by Mr Arthur Davy as Treasurer and Mrs Phoebe Flather as Honorary Secretary. The Free Registry acted as a contact between potential domestic workers and employers and was funded through donations and subscriptions. The House of Help and Mission Registry was established at 1 Paradise Square, Sheffield in 1885 to offer girls support and training to enable them to secure employment. It was designed to be a residential centre for "Rescue and Preventative Work" and was the first of its kind in Britain. The house was known as 'the Preventative and Rescue Society' but by c. 1890 it was known as the 'House of Help for Friendless Girls and Young Women'.

There were set criteria for admittance into the House, although the Committee were allowed powers of discretion in urgent cases. In 1904, in order to be admitted, the following criteria had to be met: "Young Women who have fallen from virtue, and desire to redeem their character.""Young Girls who have lost one or both Parents, or who have parent living, should those parents be of loose character.""Girls of Good Character who are not able to go to situations from want of clothing, are provided with outfits, which are afterwards paid for, by arrangement between the Mistress and the Committee when situations have been procured for them.""Girls coming into town by train, or otherwise, needing temporary lodgings, are received either day or night.""Help is given to Friendless Girls who have recovered from illness in Hospitals, and been compelled to pawn their clothing."

The girls and women only stayed at the House until a more suitable arrangement, such as admittance to hospital or a refuge, could be found. The Police Court Missionaries (forerunners of probation officers) worked with the House. Girls were sometimes sent direct from court to the House before being sent to a home which dealt specifically with those who had been charged with dishonesty. Some were sent to the workhouse and while there training placements were found for them.

By 1908, the premises at 1 Paradise Square were too small and through fund raising, 17 Paradise Square was bought. The new premises accommodated double the number of beds.

In 1940, work at the House temporarily ceased owing to an air-raid which damaged the house. A new house was sought during 1941 and appeals for furniture, money and goods appeared in the local paper. On New Year's Day 1942, the House re-opened at 346 Glossop Road. The lease for this house expired in 1952. A new house was purchased at 148 Broomspring Lane through donations by Mrs J H Doncaster and the J G Graves Charitable Trust.

In 1961 a generous legacy was given to the House from the estate of Mr William Cook. This enabled the House to purchase another property at Carterknowle Road.

The House of Help closed in 2005.