Beacon Lodge - A Mother and Baby Home Amongst Other Things
The history of the place where I was born
A building named Beacon Lodge, was first opened in 1909 at 109 Tollerton Park, London, but the work associated with it had begun in 1907. Beacon Lodge later moved a few times eventually residing at 35 Eastern Road, East Finchley, London. Eastern Road is within the Fortis Green conservation area between Muswell Hill and East Finchley. The move to Eastern Road was made in 1928 and that is where Beacon Lodge remained until its closure in 2014.
Over time, the work of Beacon Lodge changed to keep pace with the changing needs of society and the legislative demands of the environment within which it was working. It began its life as a Rescue and Refuge Centre for young women who, without support, were in danger of falling into prostitution to survive. From 1941, it was re-designated a Mother and Baby Home with a primary focus on supporting unmarried mothers during the birth of their baby and immediately afterwards. At some point in the 1970’s, Beacon Lodge became a Hostel for Young Mothers, and later a Residential Centre teaching parenting skills at the request of local authorities or the courts1 2.
It is Beacon Lodge's time as Mother and Baby Home in the 1950's in Eastern Road that has particular significance for me. I was born there in 1953 and lived there for the first six weeks of my life. During that time, I was nursed and cared for by my mother, Peggy, before she relinquished me for adoption. It is this Beacon Lodge that I initially set out to write about but I found myself caught up in it's history.
The information in this article has been drawn from several places; all mentioned in the footnotes. Most of the history prior to 2007 has come from a paper written in January 2007 by three of the Trustees of the Beacon Lodge Trust. They researched the history of Beacon Lodge and wrote the paper to mark the 2007 Centenary of Beacon Lodge3. Where not otherwise acknowledged, the historical information in this article pre-2007 has come from the 2007 paper. Information relating to the period post 2007 has come from a variety of places, including the website of the Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust4.
Beacon Lodge History
1907 - 1928
In 1907, a group of people associated with various local Churches of England within the Hornsey Deanery in North London got together to discuss their shared concern about the number of young women who were living in desperate circumstances having left, or been abandoned by, their families. This led to the establishment of The Hornsey Association for Rescue and Preventative Work. The Association formed with the aim of saving young women from poverty and prostitution by finding them employment. All the churches in the Deanery were asked to contribute funds and, in 1908, the Association employed a rescue worker5 6. In 1909, to cope with the high demand for their work, the Association rented a house at 109 Tollerton Park, London. This was dedicated as a Refuge and Rescue Centre and named Beacon Lodge. In 1912, a second worker was employed to do ‘outside work’ in the community7.
With the outbreak of war in 1914, there was an increase in the number of women who were pregnant amongst the women rescued. In addition, there were woman who found themselves struggling to cope when the father of their children was away fighting or had been killed and no longer contributed to their children's keep. The increase in pressure on Beacon Lodge during the war years was significant. In 1919, two staff members who could no longer cope with the demand left. In the same year, the landlord of the Association’s Tollerton Park property decided to terminate the tenancy and sell the house. The Association, which at that time was predominantly funded for its work by the local churches, could not afford the £700 the landlord wanted for the house. Beacon Lodge came close to closing. In the end, the house was bought by Florence and James Bradley, long time supporters of the work. They donated it back to the Association making it available for the continued work of Beacon Lodge. The Bradley’s bought the house in memory of their only son James, a 2nd lieutenant with the Royal Sussex Regiment. James had died after being wounded in action on the front line in France in October 19188
1928 - 1939
In 1928, the need for larger premises led to the sale of the Tollerton Park house and, following a short period of time occupying other premises, led to the purchase of the Eastern Road property9. The purchase of the Eastern Road property was made possible by combining sale proceeds for the former property with further financial assistance from Florence and James Bradley, again in the memory of their son. A portrait of their son, James, and a plaque commemorating him hung in the entrance hall of Beacon Lodge prior to its closure in 201410 11.
The house at 35 Eastern Road, previously called 'Beechwood' was, upon purchase, renamed Beacon Lodge. The Ministry of Health gave its approval for the house to be used as a Refuge and Rescue Centre on the condition that extensive alterations were made to make the Victorian building suitable for Beacon Road's clientele, including mothers with babies. A chapel was to be built with a play area on its roof; a superintendent’s room; another bathroom and a bottle room were to be added. In addition, the garage was to become a laundry. Part of the grounds of the property were sold to fund the alterations required to bring the building up to the required standard.
Beacon Lodge could now accommodate up to 16 women who could stay long enough to adjust to their new lives. As before, this was a temporary arrangement designed to get people “on their feet” and into employment. In addition to the staff within the home, there continued to be an outdoor worker.
While, at that time, the primary focus of Beacon Lodge remained on the rescue and refuge of young women generally, there were inevitably always young women who were pregnant or nursing babies at the refuge. In those days, the building wasn’t set up as a maternity home and those who were pregnant temporarily went off-site to other homes to have their babies and returned to Beacon Lodge to nurse them. A system of fostering was in place so that those who wanted to keep their babies could do so and work to support themselves and their child.
In June 1930, after alterations were completed, "a view day" was held to allow Beacon Lodge supporters to see the new home. From some, there was criticism that it was too well-furnished for those who lived there. The Association made its position clear in its report for that year:
"It is not the bare minimum that must be aimed at, but beauty and refinement when one considers the long hard struggle that the future holds for each and all who come to Beacon Lodge for help, it seems all the more necessary that those few weeks should be as bright and as happy as possible”12
1939 - 1941
After the commencement of the second world war in 1939, it was considered too dangerous for babies to be at Beacon Lodge. All mothers and their children were evacuated to the country. However, the need for the home was so great that Beacon Lodge was almost immediately opened again and quickly filled up with a new intake. The cellars were reinforced and fitted out as air raid shelters and frequently used often for weeks at a time.
The house survived the war without major damage. By the end of the war, broken windows had been repaired but walls and ceilings remained cracked from bomb damage and the curtains needed replacing. This needed to wait a while as there were no coupons available.
Wartime conditions contributed to an increase in unmarried mothers. By 1941, it became clear that the nature of Beacon Lodge’s work was changing in response to changing demand. So many young unmarried women needed to come there. It was decided to shift the focus of Beacon Lodge from providing shelter to those who needed rescuing from a life of crime to those who needed somewhere to have their babies. The rescue of young women generally continued to be supported by the outdoor worker attached to Beacon Lodge but Beacon Lodge itself turned its attention to unmarried mothers. In 1941, Beacon Lodge was officially re-designated as Mother and Baby Home.
Beacon Lodge - Mother and Baby Home - 35 Eastern Road, East Finchley
Between 1941 and 1950, the process of mothers going elsewhere to deliver their babies continued. Before Beacon Lodge, could operate properly as a Mother and Baby Home, complete with maternity facilities, various alterations needed to be made to make it a maternity home. This included the addition of a Labour Ward and Lying-in Ward. The first babies were delivered there in 1950. It isn’t clear why it took so long to add the maternity facilities to Beacon Lodge once re-designated Mother and Baby Home.
In the post-war years, it became increasingly difficult to find foster mothers for those young women wanting to keep their babies. As a result, more and more of them had little choice but to give up their babies. This was of concern to Beacon Lodge staff who, over the years, had done their best to keep mothers and babies together13.
In 1946 the then outdoor worker noted:
“It is impossible to get accommodation for a mother and baby outside her own home, or a residential post … A mother has no alternative, if she cannot return home with the baby, but to part with her, or him, much against her will, and I have had many of the girls weep bitterly at having to do so”14
It was the practice in the 1950's for the baby to be nursed by its mother at Beacon Lodge after its birth. This provided some time for the mother to make a final decision about whether to relinquish her child, or not. As already indicated, while technically the decision was hers, parental and/or societal pressures frequently made the choice for her.
My mother, Peggy, told me herself how hard this time was for her. She said that, when she took me to Wood End to register me, she was tempted to run off with me. However, she realised that was not a practical solution. She had nowhere to go and no support.
When it came time for the child to be handed over to the adoptive parents, its mother would bathe, feed and dress her baby. She would then hand her, or him, to a staff member on the staircase landing. The staff member then completed the handover. That was the procedure when Peggy and I were at Beacon Lodge in 1953.
It isn’t clear whether the Association overseeing the institution changed its name when Beacon Lodge changed its role from Rescue and Refuge Centre to Mother and Baby Home in 1941. According to the information I found, there was a change to the Association’s name in 1958 when it became The Hornsey Deanery Trust for Moral Welfare. In 1965 the name of the Association changed again to the Beacon Lodge Trust. Later in 1991, it changed again to the Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust.
I am not quite sure, therefore, where the Barnet Moral Association fitted in in 1953 when I was born. It was that Association that oversaw arrangements for my adoption from Beacon Lodge. At that time the Reverend F. E. Le Grice was the Chairman of the Association and Miss Balmforth was the Beacon Lodge worker who corresponded with a Miss Walters of Leicester asking her to find a suitable adoption placement.
After My Time There
In 1955, the building in Eastern Road was extended to include a new dormitory, a bathroom, and a staff bedroom. A fire escape was also added. It took nearly two years to complete the changes.
1970-1994
The work of Beacon Lodge was influenced by several factors during this period. Particularly significant was the social change that occurred during the late 1960’s and 1970’s, and the inflationary pressures of the 1980’s. As was the case throughout its history, there was a continual battle to fund Beacon Lodge's work; some times being easier than others.
The increased use of contraception, legalised abortion, and a relaxation in censorship led some people to question the need for what had been called ‘moral welfare work’ but the demand for support for unmarried girls and young women continued. With social change came a change in the nature of Beacon Lodge’s clientele. The young women were often more difficult to work with and there was an increase in mental health issues. In 1979, the then Matron, Sandra Dowling, reported that girls were staying longer; some for nearly a year. She said that many of them came from extremely deprived backgrounds or from various institutions and arrived confused. They were very anti-authority15.
During this period, there was an increase in the involvement of state and local authorities in welfare work and this led to the development of a co-operation between Church and State in response to the significant social change. Whereas in the past, Beacon Lodge was able to be selective and admit only those girls and young women it felt capable of dealing with, now it became subject to referrals from the Council.
The 1980's began with Beacon Lodge experiencing financial worries. High inflation had led to a significant increase in costs. In addition income from admissions fluctuated with the shift in the budget priorities of the referring local authorities. The appointment of a new superintendent in 1982 saw some stability return with increased efficiency in the day to day running of the home despite national high inflation. However, funding always remained a constant struggle.
In 1987, the Trusteeship of the Beacon Lodge Trust was widened to include the London Diocesan Board of Social Responsibility (LDBSR) and from 1 April 1987, all the staff of Beacon Lodge became employees of the LDBSR which later became CARIS.
During 1994, it was decided that Beacon Lodge was no longer a viable place to run and that it would close with CARIS relinquishing its responsibilities from 31 March 1994. On hearing of the impending closure, a professional group ‘Integrated Care’ made an offer to take over the management of Beacon Lodge and keep it running. The group had a background in providing services, including two mother and baby homes and their offer was accepted. The Management Committee of the Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust unanimously agreed to go into partnership with Integrated Care and keep Beacon Lodge open.
1994-2007
On 1 April 1994, Integrated Care took over the management of Beacon Lodge, including a demoralised workforce and a building in need of repair. Staff had been under threat of redundancy for several months and the financial reserves had dwindled to almost nothing. With new management came transformation for Beacon Lodge. A new manager was appointed, new staff were employed alongside existing ones and welded into a successful team, new clientele were found, and Beacon Lodge began to regain its old reputation. In 2007, Beacon Lodge celebrated its centenary.
2007 onwards
Beacon Lodge was eventually forced to shut down in July 2014. This followed the removal of its financial support following cuts to social care budgets at Haringey Council. Maintaining the property was no longer financially viable and the property was put up for sale16.
Beacon Lodge, 35 Eastern Road, East Finchley, as it was at the time of sale, has been described as:
“an imposing brick building dating from the mid-19th century, sitting within large, mature gardens in a densely residential area”17.
The new owner developed the property. The house was subdivided into three dwellings. At the front of the development, a new three storey building was added. This comprises six maisonettes in the form of three terraced units each of which comprises two maisonettes with private gardens spilling into the communal garden and a separate entrance at ground level. To the rear of the site there is a discrete dwelling which overlooks the mature garden18.
Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust
While Beacon Lodge eventually closed in 2014, the Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust endures. A statement from the Trust at the time of Beacon Lodge’s closure said:
“The work of Beacon Lodge will not end with this, but change yet again. The proceeds [of the building sale] will be used to continue the care and protection of the welfare of children by the support, assistance and provision of education to their parents”19.
The Trust continues to this day as an independent grant-making charity. Its stated intention:
“to make a real difference to the lives of children, their families and carers within Greater London”20
This article comes from my family history archive
‘About’ via The Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust [Website] - https://beaconlodge.org.uk/
Ruth Farnsworthy, Sheila Wheeler, and Ann Jones 2007 ‘Beacon Lodge One Hundred Years of Care’ Beacon Road Charitable Trust via a document ‘The History of Beacon LodgeRevised8’ uploaded to Scribe.com by Raynier Mozo on 27 June 2015. It sits behind a paywall - https://www.scribd.com/document/269817691/The-History-of-Beacon-Lodge-Revised8
Ruth Farnsworthy et al - See note 4.
‘About’ via The Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust [Website] - https://beaconlodge.org.uk/
Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust website - See note 5.
Ruth Farnsworthy, Sheila Wheeler, and Ann Jones 2007 ‘Beacon Lodge One Hundred Years of Care’ Beacon Road Charitable Trust via a document ‘The History of Beacon LodgeRevised8’ uploaded to Scribe.com by Raynier Mozo on 27 June 2015. It sits behind a paywall -https://www.scribd.com/document/269817691/The-History-of-Beacon-Lodge-Revised8
The Churches involved in the setting up of Beacon Lodge were: All Saints East Finchley; All Saints Highgate; All Saints Whetstone; Christ Church Barnet; Christ Church Crouch End; Christ Church North Finchley; Holy Innocents Hornsey; Holy Trinity East Finchley; Holy Trinity Stroud Green; St Andrew's Muswell Hill; St Augustine’s Archway Road; St James & St John’s Friern Barnet; St James' Muswell Hill; St John's whetstone; St. Luke's Finchley; St Luke's Hornsey; St Mary's Finchley; St Mary's Hornsey; St Michael's Highgate; St Paul's New Southgate; St Paul's Haringay; St Peter's Hornsey; St Peter's Muswell Hill.
‘About’ via The Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust [Website] - https://beaconlodge.org.uk/
Initially, a larger house at 79 Crouch End Hill was purchased however, the Trust hadn’t been there long when it found that the use of the house was restricted to educational activities. This necessitated another move. Temporary accommodation was used for a while until the site at Fortis Green (Eastern Road) was found, also during 1928 - Ruth Farnsworthy, Sheila Wheeler, and Ann Jones 2007 ‘Beacon Lodge One Hundred Years of Care’ Beacon Road Charitable Trust via a document ‘The History of Beacon LodgeRevised8’ uploaded to Scribe.com by Raynier Mozo on 27 June 2015. It sits behind a paywall - https://www.scribd.com/document/269817691/The-History-of-Beacon-Lodge-Revised8
Article ‘Beacon Lodge is Demolished’ September 2016 The Archer [Newspaper] - http://www.the-archer.co.uk/
Ruth Farnsworthy, Sheila Wheeler, and Ann Jones 2007 ‘Beacon Lodge One Hundred Years of Care’ Beacon Road Charitable Trust via a document ‘The History of Beacon LodgeRevised8’ uploaded to Scribe.com by Raynier Mozo on 27 June 2015. It sits behind a paywall - https://www.scribd.com/document/269817691/The-History-of-Beacon-Lodge-Revised8
Ruth Farnsworthy et al - See note 12.
Ruth Farnsworthy et al - See note 12.
Ruth Farnsworthy et al - See note 12.
Ruth Farnsworthy et al - See note 12.
Article ‘Beacon Lodge is Demolished’ September 2016 The Archer [Newspaper] - http://www.the-archer.co.uk/
Chris 19 August 2019 Article ‘Beacon Lodge’ via Brick Development Association [Website] - https://www.brick.org.uk/brick-bulletin/beacon-lodge
Beacon Lodge’ Brick Development Association website - See note 18.
Article ‘Beacon Lodge is Demolished’ September 2016 The Archer [Newspaper] - http://www.the-archer.co.uk/
‘Home’ via The Beacon Lodge Charitable Trust [Website] - https://beaconlodge.org.uk/
I've misremembered some details. Breast fed from birth, i was handed over to the C of E orphanage at 6 weeks. My papers are stamped Waifs & Strays Society. It was Hampstead Association for Moral Welfare Work who handed me over to them from Eastern Road. My Moral Welfare Worker was Miss P Hartley, who arranged for my first mother to pay (she was earning £3 pw) for my upkeep and then persuaded her to sign the adoption papers when I was 7 mos. (Still hard to read the papers.)
In 1952 I too was born there under the aegis of the old Waifs and Strays C of E organisation and stayed for 5 or 6 weeks before being sent to an orphanage for 4 months to be checked over to see if I was suitable for a nice C of E couple. I'll look at my paperwork for the info you couldn't find.