| Description | Following the death of William White (1820 -1900), the President of the Midlands Adult School Union, members of his class, Class I Severn Street, requested that a memorial be established in his name. In 1903, the William White Memorial School Fund appeal was launched by Severn Street Council to gather donations for the construction of a school in Windsor Street to better accommodate a school which had already started there. A building was constructed next to the existing school and became known as the William White Memorial School, later changing its name to Windsor Street School.
In 1939, Birmingham Corporation issued a Compulsory Purchase Order for the Windor Street School site (previously William White Memorial School) as part of plans to improve housing in the area. However, it was not until 1948 that the premises was sold to Birmingham Corporation. The proceeds from the sale were transferred to the William White Memorial Charity to be invested and used to support adult school work elsewhere in the Midland Adult School Union.
With the closure of College Road Adult School after it was severely damaged by bombing in 1940, College Institute was sold in 1946 and the proceeds from the sale were transferred to the College Road Charity.
In 1947, the College Road Charity and the William White Charity were amalgamated into the William White Memorial Charity and the proceeds from the sale of the site in College Road were invested, with the intention that the income would be used for the William White Memorial Hall. However, the William White Memorial Hall was sold to Birmingham Corporation in 1948 following a Compulsory Purchase Order which had been issued in 1939. The William White Memorial Trust continued to issue grants until 2001 when its assets were transferred to the Stonehouse Gang, a youth and community organisation based in Selly Oak in 2001. The last meeting of the Trust took place on 23 March 2001.
See also:
SF/2/1/1/13/12 Records relating to the death of William White, 1895 - 1900
SF/878 Correspondence between Alfred J. Cudworth and Dr Newman regarding the proposal of a memorial for William White, with envelope
SF/1055 William White Memorial School Fund appeal, 1903 and lists of donations from private individuals and adult schools to the William White Memorial School, 1903
MS 703/3/27 Windsor Street Adult School, previously the William White Memorial School, 1936 - 1939.
MS 703/3/9 College Road Adult School, 1920s. |