Are you an Old Scholar of Reedham Orphanage/ Reedham School? 
Follow this link to the website of the Reedham Old Scholars' Association
Reedham Old Scholars Association

OUR BACKGROUND

Reedham began life in 1844, founded by the Rev Dr Andrew Reed, the son of a watchmaker. Reed was born in 1787 in St Clement Dane’s, London and was Ordained as a Congregational Minster in 1811.  He soon became widely know as a fine preacher.  Many of the “great and the good” of the day came to listen to his sermons and were influenced by his words and by his compassion for orphans, the infirm and the poor.

Reed was appalled at the number of destitute children he saw on the streets of London. So much so, that by the age of 40 he had founded two Orphanages, built and run by voluntary subscription - The London Orphan Asylum founded in 1813 (now Reed’s School, Cobham) and the Infant Orphan Asylum, Wanstead founded in 1827 (since 1 December 2010 part of the Royal National Children's Foundation - previously the Royal Wanstead Children’s Foundation).  However Reed resigned from the Boards of both Orphanages due to formalities which which meant they had to become more closely tied to the Church of England.

As a Non-Conformist, Reed became determined to found an orphanage where help would be open to children from all backgrounds, regardless of race, colour or creed (principles on which the Reedham Trust still operates today).  Andrew Reed once again called upon the support of prominent figures and businessmen in London to bring this dream to fruition and many were present at the official formation of the new charity at a meeting in the Hall of Commerce, Threadneedle Street, London on 15 May 1844.  Such was the esteem in which Reed’s philanthropic work was held that he secured the interest and support of the Royal Family, with Queen Victoria becoming the Charity’s Patron in 1851.

Initially, a small number of children were cared for by a matron in a house in Richmond. As the numbers grew the children were moved to successively larger premises in Hackney, and then Stamford Hill.  However financial pressures on the charity quickly began to mount and Andrew Reed arranged a whirlwind tour of meetings with churches and individuals in the Midlands and North of England to promote the charity and raise funds.  He returned with £1,180 which secured the charity’s immediate future. In December 1849 a building fund was opened and in 1853 a site for the new asylum was purchased on a hillside near Purley, Surrey.  The Foundation Stone was laid on 5 August 1856 by The Lord Mayor of London and construction began.  

In June 1858 all the children were transferred to their new home and “The Asylum for Fatherless Children” was born.  Annual Festival Days were held at "The Asylum" at which successive Lord Mayors and City Dignitaries were honoured guests.  At these events all the children performed in some capacity for the entertainment of the guests, taking part in displays including skipping, country dancing and intricate gymnastics.

Andrew Reed's personality, preaching and commitment ensured that the charity maintained its links with City of London.  Businessmen and prominent figures who has assisted the charity in its early days became subscribers, helping to maintain the funding of the Asylum and one of the challenges Reedham faces today is to rebuild some of the links with the City which were so important in the past.

(Acknowledgements: “Faith is the Spur” by James McMillan and Norman Alvey 
and "The Greatest is Charity" by Ian J Shaw )

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MORE RECENT HISTORY

The "Home on the Hill" as the buildings were affectionately known, was renamed Reedham Orphanage in 1904, and then Reedham School in 1950.  Until 1979, the large Victorian buildings in Purley, which had a capacity of over 300, were used to care for children of all ages.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, with the changing social scene, the population of the School began to decline.  The School was placed under increasing financial pressure as running costs increased and, in 1979, the Board reluctantly decided to close the School and put the land and buildings up for sale.  Sadly the fashion for saving historic buildings by converting them into apartments or suites of offices came too late for Reedham and the buildings were demolished by developers to make way for a housing estate.

The proceeds from the sale were invested and used to finance the continuing work of the Reedham Trust today.  Grants are now made to the same type of child our Founder would have helped or to those children in desperate circumstances resulting from modern problems.

The Trust is proud that the Royal Patronage granted to us during the reign of Queen Victoria has continued throughout the reigns of successive Monarchs to the present time.

Those who previously attended Reedham remain in contact via the Old Scholars' Association who can be contacted via this link to their website Reedham Old Scholars Association

THE REEDHAM MUSEUM

The Trust maintains a small Museum of records and artefacts relating to the history of Reedham and also some documents relating to our Founder, Andrew Reed.  The Museum can be visited by appointment only and contact should be made with the Reedham Office, details shown below, to make arrangements.  We are very grateful to the many old scholars and others who have donated items of interest to the Museum.

We often receive enquiries from family historians trying to trace details of an ancestor's time at Reedham. Unfortunately most of our early records were destroyed when Reedham's registered Office in London was bombed during the Blitz. Please be patient if you make a family history enquiry with us, as our office is generally very busy.  

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BIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW REED - "THE GREATEST IS CHARITY"

"The definitive biography of a man whose life and work was dedicated to the needs of others"

"Although Andrew Reed's name was once mentioned in the same breath as those of William Wilberforce, Lord Shaftesbury or Thomas Barnardo, his remarkable ministry has now sadly passed from public notice"

Written by Ian J Shaw and published in July 2005, this book charts the life and work of Andrew Reed, the Founder in the 1800s, of five charities, four of which, including The Reedham Trust, are still in existence today.

Casebound, 432 pages, ISBN 0 85234 593 3

Available from:

Evangelical Press
Faverdale North Industrial Estate
Darlington
DL3 0PH
England

Price: £16.99 + p&p £2.75 (correct as at Aug 2010)

email: sales@evangelicalpress.org

web: http://www.evangelicalpress.org

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