Group    From 1802 

Friendly Female Society

From Bridge to Nowhere: "The Female Friendly Society {sic} was started in 1802, by and for women, operating “by love, kindness, and absence of humbug”. It gave small grants to “poor, aged women of good character”. In 1821, the charity built its first ‘asylum’ here.  The almshouses offered modest bedsits to 20 residents, many in their 90s, affectionately dubbed “the old objects”. Expanded by the 1840s to the 3 buildings here now, the almshouses were damaged in WW2 and fell into disrepair. Thankfully they were saved from demolition during the creation of the park, and later renovated as ‘Chumleigh Gardens’ in 1981. The original charity has moved out, but its work continues to this day at its almshouses in Brixton. You can listen here to a 2002 Woman’s hour item about the Female Friendly Society {sic}." 

The current Friendly Almshouses are in the most southerly part of Stockwell Park Road, two pairs of charming double-fronted two-storied houses, opposite Buckmaster Close.

Their website gives more information. 

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Friendly Female Society

Commemorated ati

Chumleigh Almshouses

These almshouses were built c.1847 and badly damaged in WW2 which is when the...

Read More

Other Subjects

Alice Zimmern

Alice Zimmern

Pioneering advocate for women's education and suffrage.  Born Nottingham.  Studied at Bedford College, and then Girton College, Cambridge.  Taught classics for income and wrote influentially on wom...

Person, Education, Gender Issues

1 memorial
Bedford College for Women, University of London

Bedford College for Women, University of London

Founded by Elizabeth Jesser Reid as the Ladies College, the first higher education college for women.  In 1900 it became part of the University of London and in 1913 moved to larger purpose built p...

Group, Education, Gender Issues

2 memorials
Radclyffe Hall

Radclyffe Hall

Novelist and poet.  Born as Marguerite Radclyffe Hall in Bournemouth into a wealthy family. From 1917 until her death Hall lived with Una Troubridge but had a number of affairs with other women.  T...

Person, Gender Issues, Literature, Poetry

1 memorial
Matchgirls' strike

Matchgirls' strike

A strike of the women and teenage girls working at the Bryant and May Factory. Annie Besant had published an article about the poor working conditions at the factory, 'White Slavery in London'. Thi...

Event, Gender Issues, Industry, Social Welfare

5 memorials
Votes for Women

Votes for Women

LSE History gives: "... Frederick and Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, who owned and edited the WSPU newspaper Votes for Women. Founded in 1907, Votes for Women was printed at the St Clement’s Press on C...

Media, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

3 memorials

Previously viewed

Faithless

Faithless

Electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo.

Group, Music / songs

1 memorial
Harold Ainsworth Peto

Harold Ainsworth Peto

Born in Suffolk, son of Sir Samuel.

Person, Architecture, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial
People for Portland Road

People for Portland Road

Group which works for the regeneration of Portland Road and its surrounding area in Norwood, South London. It aims to achieve improvements for the benefit of the community.

Group, Community / Clubs, History

5 memorials