WEST LONDON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Administration and registers

This district was formed in 1868 under an order of the Poor Law Board from the parishes of St. George Hanover Square and Paddington, together with Fulham Union. It was subsequently enlarged by the addition of the parish of St. Margaret and St. John Westminster (when St. George's Union was formed in 1870) of the close of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter (added to St. George's Union in 1875) and of the Strand and Westminster Unions in 1913. In 1899 the Fulham Union was divided into the Fulham and Hammersmith Unions but both continued to be part of the school district. The residential school at Ashford, Middlesex, originally designed for 800 children, was completed in 1872. It was still in use in 1930 when it was taken over by the London County Council; it was closed in 1955. The records of the school during the period 1930-55 are among those of the Children's Dept. of the L.C.C.

In 1911 the Board of Management took a lease from the Managers of the Central London School District of the Park School Buildings at Hanwell and these were opened in that year for the accommodation of 350 infants. It was, however, only in use for that purpose until 1914. Arrangements were then made for it to be occupied by wounded Belgian soldiers. It was vacated by the end of 1915 but was taken over by the Metropolitan Asylums Board until 1921 when the lease was relinquished and the fittings and furniture sold.

For a short period (1900-02) the Board of Management had an agreement with the Guardians of the Ipswich Union that the latter should take up to 20 children from the West London District. From 1893 to 1903 the Board had a similar agreement with the Guardians of the Strand Union to take up to 50 children at their school at Edmonton.