Together Trust Archive

One of the lovely things about compiling this blog every week is that it gives me a chance to show you some of the absolute gems the Together Trust holds in its archive. In terms of a charity collection we have a staggering wealth of archival material (even if I do say so myself!), documenting the charity's actions and the people who have been in our care. Our earlier material gives researchers an insight into later Victorian Manchester in terms of charity, philanthropy and attitude towards children. There are few gaps and all of the children who entered any one of our homes or services are documented. Not only were our founders and early committee inspirational in the work they did, they also had the foresight to ensure these records were preserved for future generations… Pamphlets written by committee members advertising the charity

After the news at the weekend of the fate of a cruise ship off the coast of Italy, ironically on the eve of the Titanic anniversary, my thoughts turned to the thousands of our children who used this form of transport to cross the seas. The events of Friday are perhaps surprising in this modern age of computerized navigation systems, but travelling by ship has always had the possibility of a rough crossing or worse! Marchmont receiving home, 193 Moria Street, Yeoman Hill, Canada

An account of a four year old boy admitted to the Refuge in 1889: “The boy reeled on the floor and had to be assisted to a seat. We thought it advisable to have him examined by a doctor who pronounced the poor little baby-boy to be drunk and ordered an emetic to be administered and the child to be put to bed, as otherwise it might prove fatal. It may not generally be known that making children drunk is at present no offence under the English law.” The Together Trust receives regular enquiries about the young people who have been in its care. Most are people researching their family history, trying to get some semblance of how their ancestors lived. Many are from Canada or America tracing those young children who were emigrated across the seas in search of a better life away from the slums of Manchester. A ragged child

  Today, the 4 th Jan 2012, sees the Together Trust celebrate 142 years of providing care and support to children and young people in the North West. The many services that are provided today are a far cry from our first home, which was set up to care for street children, but without our humble beginnings we would never have grown into the diverse charity we are today.