ABSTRACT
The Philanthropic Society was founded in 1788 to provide shelter and training for the children of convicted prisoners and children who had been charged with petty crimes, such as begging. The Society sought to ‘rescue’ children from the police courts and reform their characters by providing strict discipline, alongside religious instruction, and training for trades. The St George’s site had a different tone entirely from the ‘cottage’ system previously operated, with a high wall erected around the site to prevent residents absconding; as the records demonstrate, it was ineffective. By the end of the 1840s, the Reform had relocated to a ‘farm school’ at Redhill, Surrey. The Superintendant therefore requests the Opinion of the Committee whether the Said James Hawkins shall be again received into the Reform.
