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Our history

Our story begins in 1870 with two Sunday school teachers, Leonard Kilbee Shaw and Richard Bramwell Taylor. While volunteering at St Ann’s Ragged school, Manchester, they encountered the harsh realities facing children in Victorian Britain. Deeply moved by this experience, they worked tirelessly to give all young people a better start at life. 150 years later, we still share their mission. 

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we’ve been able to open up our archive so you can explore our history in a number of ways.

 

The Together Trust timeline

Our online timeline will take you through our 150-year history, from the experiences of those first Victorian children that we helped, right up to the celebrations for our 150th year.

 

Explore our timeline

You can scroll through our timeline below to travel through the decades, from 1870 right up to 2020. With a click on the ‘spanner’ icon in the bottom right-hand corner you can filter the content to find a category that most interests you. If you are viewing on a mobile, the timeline is best viewed in landscape. If you would like to view the timeline in a new window, you can click here to open a new page (this will take you away from the Together Trust website).

 

 

Terminology used in our timeline content

We recognise that this timeline contains terminology and content which may cause distress. Terminology which may now be considered offensive or derogatory exists within the original records and has been retained to provide historical context. The presence of this language is not an endorsement of the terms, and in no way reflects the attitudes of the Together Trust today.

Explore our archive collection

Our first fifty years of annual reports are now all digitised and available to explore on our archive collection webpage.

We will be adding more documents as they become available.

A Journey to Canada: education through film

Between 1872 and 1914, around 2000 children in our care travelled to Canada to start a new life. In 2016 we created a film to help students from our Ashcroft School understand more about this aspect of our history. Seven of our students volunteered to recreate activities our Victorian orphans may have experienced on their journey to, and arrival in, Canada.

Find your ancestors

Image of children queueing up for orange juice

If you think a relative was in one of our former homes, either in England, Wales or Canada between 1870 and 1916, we may be able to help you discover more information about their time in our care. We hold case files on every individual who has been in one of our homes since 1886.  We also have admission details of every child from 1870.

We provide information to relatives if case files are over 100 years old. Proof of death is required if the individual was born less than a hundred years ago, as well as evidence of your relationship.

As we open up more of our archive, we’ll be adding to this database. If your ancestor’s details haven’t been found, please email us enquiries@togethertrust.org.uk

Searching for your records?
Visit www.togethertrust.org.uk/your-history

To get an idea of what life was like for children in our early homes why not visit our blog?
www.togethertrustarchive.blogspot.com

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Contact us: Together Trust Centre, Schools Hill, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1JE | Tel: 0161 283 4848

Established 1870 | Registered charity No. 209782 | Registered in England 00301722 | Vat No. 611 4005 06