| Administrative History | Unhealthy climates, the harshness of pioneer living and lack of educational facilities with which the early missionaries were faced, meant that children over the age of seven were mostly left in the care of relatives, friends and schools in England. Salary allowances were given for children under eight years and thereafter children were expected to be sent back to England to be educated fully, or partially, at the Society's expense. Brothers and sisters were separated as boys typically attended King William's School (also 'College'; Isle of Man) and girls either the Clergy Daughters' School (Casterton, Westmoreland), St Mary's Hall (Brighton) or elsewhere.
From 1850, the CMS provided a school which would also be a home for the children and orphans of its missionaries. The Church Missionaries' Children's Home was partially funded with money raised 'for the care and education of missionaries' children through the Society's Golden Jubilee. It was first opened in houses rented for the purpose in Milner Square, Islington 7 March 1850 and was run under the superintendence of Rev and Mrs S. H. Unwin. Soon after an acre of land was bought for £1000 at Highbury Grove, Islington and a school built which was opened 8 April 1853; additional space was rented at 4 Highbury New Park from 26 April 1883. Plans to move out of London were set in place and, in 1885, 20 acres at Limpsfield, Surrey were purchased for £4000; the new Home was opened there in July 1887. The Home had separate wings for boys and girls and in 1901 a Nursery Home was opened for children under 8 years of age. Although retaining its original name as the official title, the name 'St Michael's Limpsfield' was adopted November 1914.
The Home was inspected regularly by a visiting sub-committee appointed by, and reporting to, the General Committee. The sub-committee operated under four titles: the 'Children's Home Visiting Sub-Committee' 1850-1916 (also referred to as Children's Home Visitors); 'St Michael's Visitors' February 1916-1933; St Michael's School Council February 1934-1939 and the Governing Body of St Michael's School, Limpsfield June 1940-1945.
Applications for admission to the Home were submitted direct to the General Committee for approval until October 1915; thereafter they passed first from the Principal (known as the Director up to May 1934) to the Committee of Visitors and thence to the General Committee. Generally the school provided for girls and boys from the age of four with boys leaving aged 13-15 to go on to public schools whilst girls remained until 16 years (later 17 or 18 years) although the records indicate some exceptions with children occasionally being admitted under four years and remaining over the age of 18. On 11 August 1908, the General Committee resolved that children of [CMS] Colonial [Association] missionaries were eligible for admission and, from November 1936, places were also offered to children of CMS Organizing Secretaries. During World War II, whilst few missionaries' children were able to return from overseas to take up places at the school, the intake was extended to include many local children. In exceptional circumstances, children were admitted as day scholars from the early days of the school but this became more routine over time and, by 1937, up to one third of the school were day pupils.
In addition to regular inspection of the visiting sub-committee, the Society initiated in-depth reviews through the sub-committee and additional special committees which compiled evidence of the Home's success in terms of the children's health and educational attainment and the homeliness and cost of the Home.
In 1947 the Society's policy of expecting children to not stay in the mission field after age seven was relaxed, partly due to better understanding of ways of maintaining health and access to better educational facilities overseas and partly to 'social changes' that made it harder to leave children with friends or relatives in the UK (although the Society retained the right to decide that conditions in a particular mission would not allow for this).
Source: minutes; Hewitt, G. 'The Problems of Success. A History of the Church Missionary Society 1910-1942', volume I; manuscript history of the Home, entitled 'Church Missionary Children's Home' nd [1898] (CMS/G/AMc 16); Executive Committee minutes 10 July 1946 (CMS/G/C 1/103). |