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Aston, Bampton Barnet, North London Birmingham Bolton Bray Court, Maidenhead Caerleon, South Wales Cambridge Carshalton, The Culvers Carshalton, The Oaks Faringdon, Eaton Hastings Hull Langham (Colchester) Margate, Eastcliffe Montrose, Scotland Moor Hill, Southampton Shipton-under-Wychwood Wickham Market |
| looking for sponsorship |
Once the children arrived at Stoneham Camp in May, the plan was to find more suitable accommodation throughtout Great Britain as quickly as possible. The BCC was busy at work from the outset, appealing to many organisations for help in accommodating groups of children. Appeals were made to the Salvation Army, the Catholic Church, other religious organisations, progressive political groups and the Trade Unions. The first group of children to be sponsored was by the Salvation Army who undertook the responsibility of 400 children. The BCC undertook an enormous task, in organised and apppealing for sponsorship and relied solely on the generosity and goodwill of the British people. |
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| The Basque children were targeted by the right-wing press, most who covertly supported Franco and its Fascist allies. The press reported a great number of 'crimes', such as car stealing, which, in turn, contributed to a down turn of donations to the BCC and colonys. The New Statesman and the Nation, however, printed accurate accounts of such occurances. All proved to have been grossly exagarated and simply, untruths. |
| "What you tell about the children of the Basque refugees of 1937 with whom you are in touch is most interesting. Your mother and many others of the children who came, who had to make new lives in a strange country and a strange language, must have most interesting stories to tell. What they experienced called for courage and resilience and a lot of helping each other. I think your determination to tell their story deserves every success and encouragement." Paragraph taken from a letter written by Eric Hawkins, author of 'Listening to Lorca' . |
| Plans for more to leave Stoneham Camp |
| Some ninety colonies were opened in England, Scotland, and Wales during 1937. This number dropped rapidly to forty in mid-1938, and only five were still open two years later. Everyone, including the NJCSR leadership, Basque parents, and the children themselves, had expected their stay in Britain to last only a few months. In fact, however, only 265 children had been returned to Spain by the end of 1937. Donations to the committee, which had ranged from hundreds of pounds from the Trades Union Council to pennies donated by British children, fell abruptly after the fall of Bilbao. |
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| Salvation... |
| Further batches of children have left this week. The Salvation Army took a further 150 for their farm colony at Hadley; 50 have gone to Ipswich; 50 boys are being accommodated at Nazareth House, Hill Lane and 20 girls at the Catholic Training College in the Avenue. Other contingents for Catholic homes include 100 girls for Weston Manor, Freshwater, and 50 boys for Honiton, Devon and 100 to North Hyde, Southall. |
| A draft list of other centres where arrangements have been made for the accommodation of the refugees was issued to the "Echo" to-day. It included the following centres, the number it is proposed to send being indicated in brackets: Manchester (40), Swindon (30), Scarborough (200), Cambridge (20), Brampton (150), Worthing (60), Tunbridge Wells (60), Ipswich (50), Derby (50), Welwyn Garden City (30), Birkenhead (24), Watford (50), Thame (50), Richmond (10), Birmingham (40), Newbury (100). Negotiations are proceeding for the dispatch of children to other centres. |
| Leaders of the National Joint Committee of Spanish Relief who helped organise the Basque children here in Britain. From left to right: Mr. Henry Brinton, former member of League of Nations staff and Member of Fabian Society. Dame Janet Mary Campbell, M.D., member of the League of Nations Health Committee and of Inter-departmental Committee on Hospital Construction. Mr. H. W. H. Sams, for many years administrator of refugee relief in different countries of Europe. |
| Colonies in Britain |
| The dots show the colonies which were set up in Britain. It shows heavy concentration in London and the Home counties, the Midlands, Yorkshire and Tyne & Wear. Also notice the one isolated colony in the whole of Scotland; Montrose. |
| 1. Barnes, London 2. Barnet, London 3. Berkhamstead, Herts. 4. Birkenhead, Mersey 5. Birmingham, W. Mid. 6. Blackboys, Sussex 7. Bolton, Gt Manchester 8. Bradford, West Yorkshire 9. Brampton, Cumbria ? 10. Brechfa, Wales 11. Bristol, Avon 12. Brixton, London 13. Bromley, London 14. Brooke, Norfolk 15. Bury, W. Sussex ? 16. Camberley, Surrey 17. Cambridge, Cambs. 18. Cardiff, Wales 19. Carlisle, Cumbria 20. Carmarthen, Wales 21. Carshalton, Gt. London 22. Clapton, London 23. Colchester, Essex 24. Colwyn Bay, Wales 25. Convent of the Sacred Heart, London ? 26. Darlington, Durham 27. Derby, Derbyshire 28. Diss, Norfolk 29. Ditton, Kent 30. Dorking, Surrey 31. Elford, Staffordshire 32. Epping, Essex 33. Evington, Leicester 34. Freshwate, Isle of Wight 35. Fulwood, Lancashire 36. Gainford, Durham 37. Great Yarmouth, Norfolk 38. Guildford, Sureey 39. Guisborough, Yorkshire 40. Hadleigh, Suffolk 41. Hammersmith, London 42. Hertford, Essex 43. Hexham-upon-Tyne, ? 44. High Wycombe, Bucks 45. Honiton, Devon 46. Huddersfield, W. Yorks 47. Hull, Humberside 48. Ipswick, Suffolk 49. Keighley, W. Yorks. 50. Kent, ? 51. Kingsey, ? 52. Kingston Hill, Middx 53. Lancaster, Lancashire 54. Langham, Colchester 55. Leeds, West Yorkshire |
| 56. Leicester, Leicestershire 57. Littlehampton, West Sussex 58. Liverpool, (Catholic Girls' Orphanage) 59. Liverpool, (Nazareth House) 60. Maidenhead, Berkshire 61. Machester, (Nazareth House) 62. Manchester, (Our Lady of Lourdes Home) 63. Machester, (Saint Dominic's House) 64. Machester, (Saint Joseph's House) 65. Margate, Kent 66. Middlesborough, Cleveland 67. Montrose, Scotland 68. Newbury, Cumbria ? 69. Newcastle-upon-Tyne Tyne & Wear 70. North Shields, Tyne & Wear 71. Norwich, Norfolk 72. Oxford, Oxfordshire 73. Preston, Lancashire 74. Ramsgate, Kent 75. Salford, Gt Manchester 76. Scarborough, N. Yorks 77. Southampton, (Moor Hill Hse), Hampshire 78. Southampton, (Nazareth House), Hampshire 79. Southampton (Rownham's Mount), Hampshire 80. Southampton, (Training College), Hampshire 81. Street, Somerset 82. Swansea, Wales 83. Thame, Oxfordshire 84. Theydon Bois, London 85. Tottington, Greater Manchester ? 86. Tudhoe, Durham 87. Tunbridge Wells, Kent 88. Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear 89. Wakefield, W. Yorkshire 90. Walsall, West Midlands 91. Westcott, Glos. ? 92. Wigton, Cymbria 93. Wolsingham, Durham 94. Wothing, West Sussex |
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| Ninety-four Colonies in the UK |
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| Wilfrid Roberts Wilfrid Hubert Wace Roberts, 1900 - 1991 |
| Wilfrid Roberts, although normally a quiet speaker in both public and private life, was a powerful voice against the growth of fascism and the policy of appeasement in the 1930s. As a Liberal MP he shared platforms with socialists, communists and even dissident Tories such as the Duchess of Atholl to rally support for the republicans during the Spanish civil war and he was one of the first to back the idea of a popular front - a coalition of anti-fascist politicians - in the hope of deterring the Nazis and preventing war... ...He came to active politics comparatively late, fighting and losing North Cumberland in 1931 and winning it four years late. He did not enter the House, therfore, until he was 35 but this came as a result of a famous victory as the seat had not been won by the Liberals since their great land slide in 1906. Roberts soon became known as a leading critic of the Nazis and visits to Germany only strengthened his views and fears. He was equally opposed to Italian fascism and, as a strong League of Nations man, he had been particularly dismayed by Britain's failure to take action over the invasion of Abyssinia. But it was Spain which really seized his emotions. He went there during the civil war and returned to plead for arms for the republicans and continued recognition for their government. He urged their cause in the House and at large meetings up and down the country. He was a leader of the national all-party committee for Spanish relief and was one of those responsible for shipping thousands of Basque children to Southampton after the fall of Bilbao... Article from THE TIMES Obituary column Saturday June 1, 1991 |
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| British helpers at Stoneham Camp. |
| A group of British voluntary helpers at Stoneham. |
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