Miscellaneous documents
Reference: D/X 944 Catalogue Title: Miscellaneous documents Area: Catalogue Category: Other Records Description: Darlington Town Mission and Christian Visiting Society
Covering Dates: 1852-1972
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- Miscellaneous documents
Catalogue Description
Records deposited on long-term loan, 22 February 1991(Acc: 1981(D))
DARLINGTON TOWN MISSION
The Darlington Christian Visiting Society was founded in 1838 by John Backhouse, John Beaumont Pease and John Castell Hopkins. It was an "interdenominational society especially for house to house visits to help the spiritual, mental and material needs of those in trouble". In 1914 the name was changed to Darlington Town Mission and Christian Visiting Society
In 1877 a depression in the Iron Trade caused great distress in Darlington and the mayor established a relief fund. In 1879 when the fund closed some of the members of the Relief Fund Committee established the Charity Organisation Society which as intended to promote cooperation between the Poor Law Authorities and the various town charities as well as helping the poor to help themselves. It was able to ensure rapid help in times of emergency.
In 1890 the Charity Organisation Society founded the Darlington Boys Brigade which was open to boys who had left school but were unemployed. They worked as messengers, bootblacks delivery boys etc. and they were expected to try to find jobs by the age of 15½ to 16 years.
In 1960 as a result of The Charities Act Darlington Town Mission took over the administration of the Charity Organisation Society as well as the Jubilee Friends Fund and the charity of Arthur Edward Berry for the poor.
Catalogue Contents
Darlington Christian Visiting Society (Ref: D/X 944/1-3)Ref: D/X 944/1
Darlington Christian Visiting Society Committee and annual meetings' minute book including annual reports from 1864-1878, 12 February 1852 - 7 March 1878
(1 volume, card bound with spine damaged)
Ref: D/X 944/2Darlington Christian Visiting Society Committee meetings' minute book including annual reports for 1879-1919, 1923-1929 and subscription lists for 1920-21, 7 March 1879 - 13 March 1930
(1 volume, card bound)
Ref: D/X 944/3Darlington Christian Visiting Society Committee meetings' minute book including reports of the centenary celebrations on 26 January 1938, 27 June 1930 - 16 September 1949
(1 volume, leather half-bound)
Mayor's Darlington Relief fund, 1877-1879 (Ref: D/X 944/4)Ref: D/X 944/4Book including summaries of accounts, details of emigration inquiries and press cuttings, 29 November 1877 - 9 December 1879
(1 volume, leather half-bound)
Darlington Charity Organisation Society (Ref: D/X 944/5-8)Ref: D/X 944/5Executive Committee meetings' minute book including details of the founding of the Darlington Boys' Brigade in September 1890 and a list of parochial charities of Darlington is annexed to the minutes of 6 July 1891, 9 January 1888 - 10 April 1893
(1 volume, leather half-bound)
Ref: D/X 944/6Executive Committee meetings' minute book, 8 May 1893 - 30 August 1904
(1 volume, card bound)
Ref: D/X 944/7Committee and Annual General meetings' minute book, 18 April 1879 - 17 November 1891
(1 volume, leather half-bound)
Ref: D/X 944/8Committee and Annual General meetings' minute book, 6 December 1892 - 9 February 1943
(1 volume, leather half-bound)
Darlington Town Mission (Ref: D/X 944/9)Ref: D/X 944/9A scrapbook of cuttings relating to the Darlington Town Mission compiled by Mr. Harry Hutchinson [he first worked as a grocer and served as a town missioner from 1931-1971], 20 November 1948 - 29 June 1972
(1 file)
