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  UCL BLOOMSBURY PROJECT

 

Bloomsbury Project

Bloomsbury Institutions

Progressive

Prison-Gate Home

Also known as The Bridge/Prison-Gate Brigade Home/Receiving Station/Salvation Army Prison Gate Home for Discharged Prisoners

History

It was opened in January 1891 by the Salvation Army as a hostel for ex-prisoners (The Times, 30 January 1891)

Its manager at the time of the 1891 census was Salvation Army Captain Thomas Hopkins, who lived there with his wife and son, a servant, three Salvation Army boarders, and thirty-five inmates

Its premises in Argyle Street had supposedly “formerly comprised a large store and chapel-at-ease. It consists of dormitory, dining-halls, workshop, library, etc, etc” (‘Our Prison-Gate Work,’ All the World: A Monthly Record of the Work of the Salvation Army in All Lands, December 1891)

In 1893 it was said to have 50 inmates, and to be in need of more space; the inmates were working at such things as wood-chopping and shoe-making (‘My Social Wing Tour,’ All the World: A Monthly Record of the Work of the Salvation Army in All Lands, August 1893)

It was also receiving letters from men still in prison, asking to be met (‘My Social Wing Tour,’ All the World: A Monthly Record of the Work of the Salvation Army in All Lands, August 1893); its name came from the original policy of Salvation Army officers waiting outside prisons to meet ex-prisoners as they left (‘Our Prison-Gate Work,’ All the World: A Monthly Record of the Work of the Salvation Army in All Lands, December 1891)

In 1894 the Salvation Army’s Colonel Barker and Major Lamb gave evidence to the Departmental Committee on Prisons about the Home, which they said had taken in 1197 former prisoners since 1891 (Minutes of Evidence Taken by the Departmental Committee on Prisons, with Appendices and Index, 1895)

By the time of the 1901 census it had expanded even more; now run by William Ayers and his wife Theresa, it held a staggering 84 boarders

It no longer exists

What was reforming about it?

It was said to be the first of its kind (The Times, 30 January 1891)

In 1893 the Salvation Army’s journal All the World noted that “there seems to be no place in God’s universe for an ex-prisoner – except 30, Argyle Square [sic]” (‘My Social Wing Tour,’ All the World: A Monthly Record of the Work of the Salvation Army in All Lands, August 1893)

Where in Bloomsbury

It was located at 30 Argyle Street from its opening in 1891 (The Times, 30 January 1891) until at least the time of the 1901 census

It was often referred to as “the home in Argyle Square” but this is a regional designation rather than a postal address; it was definitely in Argyle Street

Website of current institution

It no longer exists

Books about it

None found

Archives

None found

This page last modified 13 April, 2011 by Deborah Colville

 

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