Erection date: 2018
The Idea of the Settlement
A Settlement is a colony of members of the upper classes, formed in a poor neighbourhood with the double purpose of getting to know the local conditions of life from personal observation, and of helping where help is needed. The settler gives up the comfort of a West End home, and becomes a friend of the poor. He sacrifices to them his hours of leisure, and fills his imagination with pictures of misery and crime, instead of impressions of beauty and happiness. For a shorter or longer period, the slum becomes his home. Only seldom does he show himself at his Club, at the Theatre, in Society. This means the loosening of social and personal ties, in many cases the foregoing of the prospect of an early marriage, and the neglect of favourite pursuits. It means a sacrifice of life. .....
quotes Mark Freeman in the 'Journal of the History of Education Society, Volume 31, 2002 - Issue 3' who gives the source of this text as: Werner Picht, 1914. Freeman questions many aspects of this definition of settlements.
This memorial is quite well hidden and, despite being part of the 'Immortalised' campaign run by Historic England, we can find no information about who created it, which is a pity since it's an interesting memorial both in form and meaning.
Site: Settlements mural (1 memorial)
WC1, Tavistock Place, Mary Ward House
The mural is on the underside of the archway on the west side of Mary Ward House. We're not sure of the correct terminology: murals are on walls; a painting on a floor must be a floral, but we don't know the word for a painting on a ceiling.
The has some interesting text (Copyright Sabrina Ahmed): "In 1888 Mary Ward (1851 – 1920) published her most famous novel, Robert Elsmere. In it, a disillusioned Church of England minister moves to the east end of London and with others forms a self-help group for people experiencing difficulties – they call their enterprise a ‘settlement’. Ward was persuaded to try and realise the dream of the novel and she succeeded beyond her expectations. She pioneered free legal aid, and the education of blind and disabled children. Through her innovative work with children showed how the most disturbed and traumatised could be rehabilitated and enjoy a happy life. The building of Mary Ward House was funded by Passmore Edwards who amassed a fortune in the newspaper industry and spent much of it on progressive movements. He was a lifelong champion of the working classes and a generous philanthropist. Ward’s aim was to promote equalisation in society and the building was soon crammed with local residents enjoying the pleasures and opportunities that had previously only been enjoyed by the rich. This memorial was submitted by a member of the public to the campaign, which is being run by Historic England and aims to help people explore the country's memorial landscape - who is remembered, who is missing, and why."
Under her married name Mary Ward was the novelist .
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