Extract from Information Sheet No.14
DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Introduction
Holdings of Social Work Archives
The Department of Special Collections and Archives holds the archives of (a) Liverpool
University Settlement (later entitled Liverpool Settlement (South)); (b) the Victoria
Settlement, Liverpool; (c) the Granby Toxteth Community Project: Poverty 3, Liverpool;
(d) the English Secretariat of the International Year of Disabled People 1981; (e)
Barnardo's; (f) National Children's Home (now NCH Action for Children); (g) the
Fairbridge Society (now Fairbridge); (h) Family Service Units; (i) the Simon
Community; (j) the Cyrenians; and (k) Emigration Home for Destitute Little Girls,
Peckham.
In addition, the Department holds (i) papers relating to a social survey of Norris Green,
Liverpool, ref. D.111, carried out by Mr. Norman Williams in 1937 as part of his work for his M.A. dissertation, 1938 (‘Problems of population and education in the new housing estates, with special reference to Norris Green’; Sydney Jones Library,
University of Liverpool, ref. Thesis 816C); and (ii) the raw data and supporting papers of a number of social surveys principally in the Merseyside area which were undertaken by staff and students of the University’s Department of Sociology, over the period 1940-87, ref. D.416 and D.719. For more detail, see list of D.416 and Accession Register entry for
D.719.
The archives of (a)-(d) and (k) are not subject to access restrictions.
The archives of (e)-(j) are subject to access restrictions as regards archives within a
‘closed period'. The ‘closed period' is 100 years from the closure of the records in the case of archives relating to clients, 75 years in respect of archives relating to the staff of the charity, and 30 years in respect of administrative archives. For further information, please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives .
In the following listing, the Department’s references for the records are given in the left hand column (e.g. D.7). Where a copy of the Department’s list of the records is held by the National Register of Archives (at The National Archives, Ruskin
Avenue, Kew, Richmond, TW9 4DU), this is noted.

In those cases where a loan copy of a book cited in the bibliography sections of this
Information Sheet is to be found in the University of Liverpool Library, the reference for such a book is given. It should be noted that generally only staff and registered students of the University may borrow books from the Library. In the case of books, copies of which are not noted as being in the University Library, the Department of Special
Collections and Archives generally has reference only copies.
F. National Children's Home (now NCH Action for Children)
(a) Bibliography
T.B. Stephenson The Story of the Children's Home and Princess
Alice Orphanage (1883).
(reference copy in Special Collections and
Archives, ref.
D.541/D3/1)
Nehemiah Curnock The Story of the Children's Home (Charles H.
Kelly, 2 nd
ed., 1901).
(reference copies of both the 1 st
, 1891, and 2 nd editions are in Special Collections and Archives, ref. D.541/D3/3/1-2.)
William Bradfield The Life of the Reverend Thomas Bowman
Stephenson (Charles H. Kelly, 1913).
(reference copy in Special Collections and
Archives, ref.
D.541/D4/1)
H.J. Sugden Children on Wheels (Epworth Press, 1928).
(reference copy in Special Collections and
Archives, ref.
D.541/D81)
Alan A. Jacka The Story of the Children's Home (National
Children's Home, London, 1969) (a centenary history.)
(reference copies in Education Library, University of Liverpool, ref. 362.73 JAC, and Special
Collections and Archives, ref. D.541/D3/10)
Gerry Urey
Terry Philpot
‘Child Migration 1950-1955' (1994) (typescript)
Action for Children, The Story of Britain's
Foremost Children's Charity (Lion Publishing,
Oxford, 1994).
(reference copy in Special Collections and
Archives’ Reference Library)

John M. Turner
‘Stephenson,
Thomas Bowman (1839-1912)’ in Oxford
Dictionary of National Biography, Vol.52, 2004, pp.510-11.
See, too, entries for Dr. Julie Grier’s Ph.D. thesis (2000) (p.5 of this Information Sheet); Jon Lawrence and Pat Starkey, editors, Child
Welfare and Social Action (2001) (see pp.5-6 of this Information Sheet); and Roger Kershaw, Emigrants and Expats, A guide to sources on UK emigration and residents overseas (2002) (see p.6 of this Information
Sheet).
A growing number of university theses have been based to some degree on the social work archives at the University of Liverpool. For instance, Dr. Margaret R. Currie’s Ph.D. thesis, ‘Social policy and public health measures in Bedfordshire, within the national context, 1904-1938’
(University of Luton, 1998) draws on NCH (and Barnardo’s) archives, particularly for chapter 4, on the welfare of children.
Finance
(b) Archives
D.541 A Central Committees
A1 Minutes of the General
Committee, later the Council, 1869-1990, (1991)-(1999)
A2 Minutes of the Executive Committee, 1909-17, and of the
Executive Council, 1933-57
A3 Minutes of the Finance Sub-Committee, 1878-81, and
A4 and General Purposes Committees, later the Executive
Committee, 1894-(1999)
Minutes of the Application Committee, 1908-66
A5 Minutes of other Committees,
1878-(1999), including Local Branch Committees, 1914-
45, Welfare Council, 1944-64, and Social Work
Committee, 1985-(1999)
A6 Miscellaneous, 1887-1991, including names and addresses of and
Committee,
Senior
A7
A8
Committee members, 1918-91, and minutes of Trustees
Committee of Management and of the Orphanage
1887-89, 1895.
Minutes of Executive Officers’ Committee, later the
Management Group, 1973, 1978, 1987-92.
Minutes and some related papers of the Trustees, 1913-

15,
1924-26
Sheets,
1932-1992
B Financial and Legal
B1/1-12 Numerical and Financial Statements, (1903)-1916,
B1/13 Statements of Income and Expenditure and Balance
1948-81
C Policy and Planning
C1 Policy and Procedure Manuals, 1945-92
C2 Policy papers, 1954-85
C3 Organisation and branch surveys, 1934-47
C4 Strategic plans, 1973-94
D Publications
D1 Annual reports, yearbooks, and annual reviews, etc.,
1869-1993
D2 Magazines, newspapers, and newsletters, including
Children’s Advocate, 1871-86, Highways and Hedges,
1888-1933, Children, 1934-88, and Our News (for Old
Girls and Boys), 1909-73
D3
Books on the National Children’s Homes, 1883-1994
D4 Books about individuals, 1913-87
D5 NCH Surveys and Reports, 1991-94
D6 Material written by staff, 1954-80
D7 Hymn books and sheet music, 1882-1987
D8 Miscellaneous, 1883-1992
It should be noted that the Library, NCH Action for Children, 85
Highbury Park, London, N5 1UD holds copies of a number of
NCH publications, copies of many of which are to be found in
D.541/D1-D8.
The Department of Special Collections and Archives holds a copy of the catalogue of the catalogued element of these publications (which covers the period c.1950-2000). The Library of NCH Action for Children also holds (uncatalogued) copies of its other, periodical publications: Convocation Lectures,
Children’s Advocate, Child Welfare Worker, Highways and
Hedges, Children, Our News, Family News, NCH News, and
Action for Children News, besides a complete set of annual reports from 1870 to the present day.

Please contact the Library and Information Services Manager
(Ms. Jenny
Collieson) to arrange a visit to the Library, NCH Action for
Children.
Committee
E Staff and Training
E1 Sisterhood Council minutes, 1933-54, and Sisterhood minutes, 1955-84
E2 Staff Appointment Records, 1873-1969
E3 Ordination/Qualification and Service Awards, 1875-1967
E4 Training course resources, 1928-51
E5 Student records, 1936-79
E6 Publications, 1941-85
E7 Publicity and fund-raising, 1929-85
E8 Miscellaneous, 1949-96
It should be noted that NCH Action for Children, 85 Highbury
Park, London, N5 1UD, retains staffing records only for the period since 1950. The publications of NCH (including
Highways and Hedges), cited in D2, above, make reference to the retirement/death of long-serving staff and committee members.
F Convocation
F1 Records and Minutes of Convocation, 1892-1985
F2 Programmes, 1895-1935
F3 Handbooks and Discussion Papers, 1936-74
F4 Proceedings, 1932-64
F5 Sermons and Lectures, 1946-84
G Fundraising and Publicity
G1 Newspapers and publications, 1920s-1996
G2 Centenary celebrations and events, 1966-70
G3 NCH George Thomas Society, 1989-93
G4 Fundraising Events, c.1883-1885, 1919, 1929, 1950-90
G5 Appeal leaflets and collection cards, 1930s-1992
G6 Regional activities, 1970s-c.1990s
G7 Information/Publicity leaflets, 1992, n.d.
G8 Miscellaneous, c.1950s-1990s
H Children’s records
H1 Application Registers, [1869]-[1870], 1923-65
H2 Admission Registers, 1869-1984

of branch registers
H3 General Registers, 1914-56
H4 Precis Books, 1869-1964
H5 Transfer Books, 1916-64
H6 Analytical and Statistical Registers, 1869-1981
H7 Contribution and Local Authority Payment Books, c.1935-1966
H8 Miscellaneous, 1905-79
J Local Branch records
The largest and most diverse element of the archives of NCH
Action for Children comprises the records of nearly 50 of the 80 or so homes. These records have been arranged according to the following classification scheme:-
/1 Committee minutes and establishment, including local
/2
/6
/7
/8
/9
/3
/4
/5 committee minutes
Registers, including branch admission and progress
Daily branch management, including log books
Staff: details of staff wages and some staff diaries
Publications, including leaflets, reports, etc., relating to a specific branch
General correspondence
Projects
Publicity and fundraising
Miscellaneous, including cot naming books, scrapbooks newscuttings, and photographs
K Projects
K1 Rosebank Project, Lymm, 1981-89
K2 Family Support Centres, 1979-89
K3 Miscellaneous projects, 1991-92
L Overseas
L1 Canada; includes registers, 1873-1931, which provide details and progress reports of the children who were emigrated to Canada
L2 Central Europe: records of three schemes involving the rescue of refugee children from Central Europe - Serbia,
1918-21; Riversmead Scheme (to provide safe haven for young male German and Austrian Christians with Jewish ancestry), 1939-61; and the ‘Hospitality Scheme’ (to provide home for children currently in refugee camps on the Continent), 1946-60
L3 Australia; includes Committee minutes, 1948-59,

list of registers, and emigration
Social and
Barnardo’s,
1949-52, publications, 1945-90, and correspondence files,
1938-59, relating to both NCH’s own migration scheme to NCH’s earlier use of the Fairbridge Society’s scheme
L4 Hong Kong, 1959-65; principally records relating to the background to a joint scheme with the International
Service to provide foster homes in Britain for a number of unwanted babies
L5 Caribbean; records, 1973-79, relating to a NCH branch training centre at Kingston, Jamaica that opened in 1973
L6 Miscellaneous, 1918-91, comprising South African Fund
Register, 1918-27, Minutes of the Council for Voluntary
Organisations for Child Emigration (including
NCH, and Fairbridge), 1951-59, and book about
Motherless Babies Home at Uzuakoli, Nigeria, 1991
M Associated Organisations
M1 Old Girls and Boys, 1905-77, including decorative calendars and other samples of work produced by the
‘artist without hands’, John Buchan
M2 Young Leaguers Union, including the League of Light,
1900-65
M3 Ladies Association: commemorative book, c.1930, and first thousand members of the Association, n.d.
M4 Association of Friends, 1970s - 1986
M5 Phebe Mission, 1869-1967
M6 Twig Folley Old British School and Mission, 1942-67
M7 Gordon Hall Mission, 1985
N Farningham and Swanley ‘Homes for Little Boys’
These two children’s homes in Kent were never run by NCH.
The Home for Little Boys at Farningham was established in 1864 and the Home at Swanley in 1883. In 1964, when the organisation was being wound up, the trustees donated the proceeds from the sale of the land and buildings, and also the records, to NCH.
The records, which are arranged according to the same classification as that for local branch records (D.541/J), include

General Committee minutes, 1867-1928, and Executive and
Finance Committee minutes, 1928-67; application books, 1899-
1957, admission registers, 1889-1960, and case books
(Farningham, 1864-1956, and Swanley, 1876-1960); annual reports, 1865-1922; copies of the magazines Our Little Lads,
1911-34, and Young People’s Union, 1912-52. In addition, about
500 case files are also held relating to children at the two homes from the late 1940s until they closed in the late 1950s.
For records of these Homes held elsewhere, see p.20 of this
Information sheet.
Case Files
In addition to the archives described above, the Department of
Special Collections and Archives holds the case files of children formally admitted into NCH since its foundation in 1869.
Photographs
In addition to the archives described above, the Department has more recently received a large collection of c.7,000 photographs
(of NCH homes and premises, staff, groups of children, activities, etc.) from NCH Action for Children’s Highbury offices. The majority of these photographs (both original and copy photographs) have been placed in the relevant folder of photographs covering a particular Home, though some have been put in folders covering, for instance, ‘Staff NCH’, and
‘Stephenson’ [relating to the Revd. T.B. Stephenson].
In addition to the archives deposited by NCH Action for Children, the following have been received from other sources:-
D.772
Photocopy of Mrs. Dora Berry, ‘Vol.VII of
Memories of My Early Years : Early Married Life at the
National Children’s Home 1949’ (1993); relates to
Bramhope (near Leeds) branch of the NCH, to which
Mrs. Berry’s husband was appointed as a member of the
Maintenance Staff.
D.777
A.J. Hodgetts, The National Children’s Home,
Bramhope Branch, Recollections 1934-1948 (1996)
D.778
Recollections of Mrs. Emma Dyson of the years
(1934-40) she spent at the Bramhope Branch of the
National Children’s Home [1999]; photographs of the exterior of the former Home, 1991.

D.790
D.830
D.841
D.870
D.916
Maureen Bones, Wolverhampton Church Child
Jubilee (1999); principally a history of the Princess Alice
Orphanage and School, Birmingham (incorporating text of Mr. Les Smith’s Brief History, D.541/J6/5/7).
Extracts from Malcolm Bottrill, My Family
History… (2000) as concern Mr Henry Bottrill (1849-1924), a member of staff of the Central Office, National Children’s Home,
London, 1879-1920, initially as secretarial assistant to the
Revd. Dr. T.B. Stephenson and later as Accountant.
[Dr. David R. Cole], NCH Sisterhood Memorial
Book (2001); an account of the meaning of the Sisterhood
Badge, a chronological list of the opening of NCH branches 1868-1969, and an alphabetical list of the names of the Sisters who were ordained into the Sisterhood and the year of their ordination.
Postcard and other photographic views of NCH branches (especially Frodsham and Harpenden) and staff, and other buildings, 1929, 1934, n.d. [?1930s-?1960s].
Photographs of children and staff at NCH Homes
(including Southport), also two NCH long service medals awarded to Sister Edna Stevens (1917-95).
D.928
Papers relating to the Edgworth branch of NCH,
1972, and 2002-05, including Anita D. Forth, Edgworth to Crowthorn, The story of a Lancashire Children’s Home
(2005).
Records Elsewhere
The Library of NCH Action for Children, 85 Highbury Park, London, N5
1UD, holds video copies of films about the NCH which were made in
1950s-1970s, together with copies of videos about the NCH made in the
1980s-1995; a total of 26 videocassettes in all.
A list of these videos is held by the Department of Special Collections and Archives.
The Centre for Kentish Studies, Sessions House, County Hall,
Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XQ, holds other records (including managers’ minutes, admission registers, and log books) relating to the Farningham and Swanley Homes; they cover the period 1931-61, and their references are C/ES 193 and 358.
A list of these records is held by the Department of Special Collections and Archives.
Birmingham City Archives, Central Library, Chamberlain Square,

Birmingham, B3 3HQ, holds other records (including minute books, log books, registers of children, photographs, press cuttings, and magazines) relating to Princess Alice Orphanage, Birmingham; they cover the period
1878-1980, and their reference is MS 1249. A list of these records is held by the Department of Special Collections and Archives.
The National Library of Australia, Canberra, Australia, holds the papers of the Revd. John H. Litten, CBE (1878-1954; Principal of the National
Children’s Home, 1933-50), their reference MS.9284. The papers (28 boxes in all) apparently mainly concern child migration.