Hidden Lives Revealed. A virtual archive - children in care 1881-1981 * Image of handwritten text

Gloucester Diocesan Home For Little Girls, Cheltenham

Photograph of Gloucester Diocesan Home For Little Girls, Cheltenham

Discover more about this imagelink opens in a new window

Gloucester Diocesan Home For Little Girls, Cheltenham

Hewlett Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

(1897 - 1907)

This home had already been open for 10 years, when it became part of the Waifs and Strays' Society in 1897. It was originally established by a local woman called Miss Sawyer, who also worked as the Superintendent of the Home. She carried on with that role after 1897, with the assistance of a matron.

There were 12 girls within the Home, and they were aged 7-12. Some of the girls helped the matron with the housework as part of their training in domestic service. The other girls attended the nearby All Saints' Day School, which was very close to the Home. The children were encouraged to play in the open air, and there was a spacious garden behind the Home. Here there was a playground with a swing and a big wooden seesaw. Evenings were spent in Miss Sawyer's sitting room, where 'a pleasant and profitable time was spent in reading, chatting and sewing.'

The Home moved to another part of Cheltenham in 1907, and its name changed to St Monica's.



The Children's Society UNESCO logo Big
           Lottery Fund logo Wellcome Trust