T Welfare

DATE: c1927-2004

LEVEL: Series

This series of 31 boxes (plus one bound volume) provides information about a broad range of social welfare subjects at Dartington Hall. Records include correspondence, memoranda, reports, committee minutes, and accounts.

Staff and personnel issues covered by these records include: contracts and terms of employment; conditions of work; apprenticeships; wage rate information; dismissals; bonuses; pensions; holidays; Heads of Departments Committee minutes; apprenticeships; management policy; trade unionism; staff lists; labour turnover; minimum wage issues.

There are also general folders of correspondence, memoranda and reports, sorted under individual Personnel and Welfare Officers including: John Benson; J V (Vic) Elmhirst; Winsome Bartlett; Mrs A C Collingbourne. This correspondence concerns personnel and employment matters; amenities and recreation; sports and youth clubs; evening classes; health and medical provision; care and housing for the elderly. Other topics include social insurance and benevolence, a contributory scheme; material concerning the inception and administration of the Dartington Hall Sickness and Benevolent Fund, Memorial Scholarship Fund committee minutes; Dartington Awards; Long Service Awards and minutes of the Dartington Long Service Association Committee; Foundation Day, 50th Anniversary Celebrations; and Estate Committee minutes and administration.

The series also includes material concerned with estate housing matters, comprising: general housing on the estate; staff houses; housing subsidy; Week (Broom Park), Brimhay and Huxhams Cross; rent; costs of building; Housing Committee minutes and correspondence; reports of the Housing Committee; report by Jack Collingbourne on specifications for rural housing; Rents and Housing Subsidies; Tenancy questions and agreements; and a Tenants' association. Also minutes of the following committees and sub-committees: House Selection Committee 1945-1948; Trustees' House Selection Committee 1948-1968; Estate Committee House Selection Committee 1948-1963, Dartington Housing Society Ltd.

Reports include 'Housing of Old People in a Rural Parish' by Peter Willmott and Philip Barbour of the Institute of Community Studies, London; also 'Housing of Old People' (Willmott and Barbour) - survey commissioned by the Dartington Hall Trustees, to assess the housing needs of the elderly in the parish; Dartington Housing Survey by Sarah Child (1959).

Records of social activities also document estate sporting activities especially cricket. An addition to the collection includes minute books and guest registers of the White Hart Club.

This Collection also includes a supplementary series of 5 boxes of later records regarding the Estate Committee (c1975-2004) primarily accumulated by Paula Hatch through her role as Estate Committee Secretary (1986-2003). The records provide information regarding the activities, administration, finance, and dissolution of the Estate Committee (2003).

Subjects include: meetings; appointments including as Chairman Ruth Foster (1975-1977), Barbara Jewell (1977-1980), Lucy Huntington (1980-1982), Robert Beattie (1982-1984), Iris Allison (1984-1986), Diana Hunt (1986-1990), from 1990 -1992 meetings were chaired by members of Executive committee including Eileene Hunter, Lawrence Fureaux, David Williams, and Margaret Keel, then Mary Slade (1993-1996), Brian Evans (1996-2001), and Di Hern (2001-2003); membership and resignations; holiday accommodation for employees; communications; the Dartington Society; Dartington Sports Club; donations, fund raising and grants; Estate Management; the Friends of Dartington; Grounds and Garden; an Interim Council; Pension Fund; The Dartington Hall Trust Retirement Association; sales; social events; and welfare including the activities of Irene Taylor as Welfare Officer (1980-1997).

From 1925 to 1929, welfare matters (for instance issues and policies surrounding holidays, housing, and recreation etc) on the Dartington Hall estate were decided in an informal way. John Benson was the first Welfare Officer - a former member of the school staff, he had been involved with the apprentice department and arranging canteen and club facilities on the estate, particularly for the boys. Soon after the formation of Dartington Hall Ltd, a personnel office (1931-1939) was set up which dealt with all matters relating to welfare and social administration. Much thought was given to welfare matters, to wage rates and salaries, holidays, sickness payments, pensions, recreational facilities, housing etc, and this began to be more formally organised in the 1930s. The first personnel officer was Victor (J V) Elmhirst, who had already been active in the Forestry department and in the School. The Heads of Department Committee ran from 1929-1936.

In 1937 the contributory Sickness and Benevolent Fund was founded to provide 'for the relief of its members during sickness or accident (supplementary to the action of the National Health Act)'.

During the war some changes took place, a voluntary organisation known as the Estate Committee was formed in 1942 to provide greater staff involvement in social and welfare conditions on the estate.

Ann Collingbourne was Sickness and Benevolent Fund Secretary - she was later asked to take over from J V Elmhirst as Welfare Officer. Other Welfare or personnel officers were appointed including Naomi Westbury and Mary Hammersley.

(For more information see Victor Bonham-Carter's Report to the Trustees; Dartington Hall 1925-56; and First Supplement 1956-65)

Information for Researchers

All papers belonging to The Dartington Hall Trust Archive (with the exclusion of Dartington Hall School pupils individual records) are held at the Devon Record Office. All enquiries relating to research should be made to Devon Records Office, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7NL
+44 (0)1392 384253
+44 (0)1392 384256
devrec@devon.gov.uk
www.devon.gov.uk/record_office

The following requests should be made direct to the Archives & Records at The Dartington Hall Trust as shown below:
Copies of images as seen on The Dartington Hall Trust online catalogue with appropriate reference number (Ref No.)
Permission to publish or quote from any document held in the Dartington Hall Trust Archive
Former pupils of Dartington Hall School wishing to view their records
Archives & Records
The Dartington Hall Trust
Dartington Hall
Totnes TQ9 6EL
01803 847201
yvonne.widger@dartington.org