| Individual or organisational biography | St Bride's Foundation Printing School, Bride Lane, Fleet Street was founded 1883 and, with a Printing School, opened Nov 1894 to teach part-time courses, it was re-named London School of Printing and Kindred Trades in 1922 when it came under the London County Council's direct jurisdiction and moved to 61 Stamford Street [extended 1933]. In 1894 the Foundation had approximately 124 evening class students and evening classes were a major part of the Foundations activities. The aims were to provide technical printing schools, reading and lecture rooms and swimming and wash baths. In 1911 they appointed their first full-time Principal, JR Riddell who instigated a move from text book based learning to practical teaching. The first full-time courses began in 1919.
On 10 Aug 1878 a Royal Commission was established to investigate parochial charities. It reported on 12 Mar 1880 and resulted in a new emphasis on enhancing the technical workforce, in the face of new technologies and foreign competition, as well as a greater understanding of how parochial charities could be better administed to help the poor. The resultant legislation was the City of London Parochial Charities Act, 1883. This provided that the five largest parishes should continue to administer their own charitable endowments, but that the charities of the remaining 107 parishes [about 1,400 separate charitable gifts and bequests stretching back over 400 years] should be administered by a new corporate body the Trustees of the London Parochial Charities [now named City Parochial Foundation]. This in turn led to a number of educational foundations in deprived areas of London, where people needed to retain relevant practicle skills to remain in, or gain employment. St Bride Foundation was one of the establishments.
A Central Governing Body was established for the Trustees, nominated by local London government bodies and educational establishments. It was this body which placed the Foundation under the direct guardianship of London County Council, prior to this the Foundation was under the control of the Trustees. The School became independent from Council control in 1949 when in merged with the London County Council School of Photoengraving and Lithography, Bolt Court. |