History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

A hard and brutal life What happened to children in Victorian London who were orphaned, or whose parents couldn’t look after them? In the absence of any state care or benefit, many families had to find their own solution to this problem. As a last resort there was the Workhouse, but admission was not automatic, and came with its own strict set of rules and restrictions. Kilburn had several establishments that took in orphans, destitute and abandoned children. These Homes were financed by donations and bequests; when a donor withdrew their help, the resulting shortfall in funds had to be replaced by finding new benefactors. A Home had to appeal to the public. If this didn’t happen it closed. In this story we look at two Homes for girls that began life in the same street, Cambridge Road, (the northern stretch was later re-named Cambridge Avenue). They occupied converted houses that were adequate but not ideal for the purpose. Today, all the houses have been demolished and redeveloped....