Druitt - A Link to the East End: The People's Palace

[aspallek]

Hi Sam
A useful note of caution
When I said "link" I did not mean to imply that this showed in some way that Druitt knew or had even been to the East End
Rather that he was aware of and concerned about the plight of the East End and the efforts to do something about it.
Chris

However, with a relative also on the Mile End Road, it may imply more than that. But we shall proceed cautiously.

With regard to the "Thos Druitt" there was indeed a "Thomas Druitt" but I can't remember if or how he was connected.

[Chris Scott]

Hi Sam
A useful note of caution
When I said "link" I did not mean to imply that this showed in some way that Druitt knew or had even been to the East End
Rather that he was aware of and concerned about the plight of the East End and the efforts to do something about it.
Chris

[Sam Flynn]

My sister sponsors a child in Ghana, but she's never been there. I made a sizeable donation to Live Aid and (more recently) to the tsunami appeal. Sometimes charity begins, and ends, away from home.

Just a word of caution - not wishing to detract from this splendid find in any way.

[Natalie Severn]

Hi Chris,well this discovery of several of the names known to have been associated with Druitt -on their own -are of some significance but to find an actual named donation by Druitt to an East End charity to do with education could be very significant. At Toynbee alone many more people were involved from Oxford than I have found names for.And while it was certainly a very worthy cause ,it was also very "fashionable" among the upper and middle classes at the time,to become involved.
Lets hope we can unearth some more.
Best
Norma

[Chris Scott]

Here's a clearer version of the MJD entry

[Chris Scott]

Hi Norma
Glad it's of use
There is another Dyke Acland on the list as well
Also another Druitt (see below) - not sure who this is

[Natalie Severn]

In the chapter on Pupil Teacher Centres - Canon Barnett-His life and Work,
it states :
It gave Canon Barnett genuine satisfaction to place the Toynbee Rooms at the disposal of the School Board to enable Sir Edmund Currie"s[Of the People"s Palace"] ideas of Pupil Teacher Centres to be accomplished-1885.
There are several pages devoted to the debates the boys enjoyed etc etc .
It was greatly hoped thatthe educational side of this" People"s Palace" would eventually become the first "East London University".

As you all probably know already,this R Acland Chris G pointed out ,Reginald ,who donated £3 ,was Druitt"s "Fives" oppponent from Oxford-according to D J Leighton.

[Natalie Severn]

Great Chris-----I have been looking for such all afternoon!
Anyway it may interest you that their "temporary offices" were at number 28 Commercial Street which is none other than the address of Toynbee Hall!
Wheels within wheels!
The Besants were also very active in Toynbee Hall.

[Chris Scott]

Guess who else was on the list...

[aspallek]

Well done, Chris. How many times have we searched through the Times and we've never found that one before! It just goes to show that there are many more gems yet to be found.

Yes, it is a connection, though not necessarily a physical connection. However, lest we think £1 was a measly amount in 1886, consider this from www.measuringworth.com :

In 2006, £1 0s 0d from 1886 was worth:

£74.88 using the retail price index
£102.45 using the GDP deflator
£493.22 using the average earnings
£636.10 using the per capita GDP
£1,060.36 using the share of GDP

So, this was a contribution of at least 75 quid in today's terms. Not a fortune but not chicken feed, either.

Ed. - I note that the People's Palace was in the Mile End Road. This is also where Montague's relative Jabez Druitt lived.

[Chris Scott]

I don't remember seeing this entry before.
In The Times of 1 April 1886 on Page 12 there is a very long list of subscribers.
This list of Subscribers is explained on the previous page as follows:
The Beaumont Trust
The People's Palace in East London
Patron: Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen
Temporary Offices: 28 Commercial Street, E.
Bankers: London and Westminster Bank (Whitechapel Branch)
The Trustees appeal for funds to establish what they propose to term the People's Palace for East London, which will comprise:

There follows a detailed description of the site in Mile End and the aims and objectives. From the list of subcribers we see that Montague Druitt subscribed £1 for this appeal (see below)

A link at last between Druitt and the East End?

For more details about the People's Palace, which opened in 1887, see
http://www.whitechapelsociety.com/Lo...les_palace.htm