The term “asylum” was once used in a similar way as “sanctuary”, to describe a place of refuge - often Churches - where criminals or political refugees could be safe from arrest.
Only later would it be used to describe institutions for those who needed help.
Asylum Green is the grassy strip on the east side of the Avenue at its southern end. The Royal Military (children’s) Asylum had been established at Chelsea in 1803.
In 1816, a branch was opened for 400 boys in the former Cavalry Barracks on Southampton’s London Road, opposite Asylum Green.
It was founded by Royal Warrant and was one of the first ways of providing facilities for the families of “ordinary” soldiers.
“… we have thought proper…. to provide for the maintenance and education of 400 additional boys, and to direct that a building should be fitted up at Southampton”.
The rules and instructions for both asylums stated:
“…. preference shall be given first, to orphans; second, to those whose fathers have been killed, or died on foreign service; third, to those who have lost their mothers, and whose fathers are on duty abroad”. A few were just from large, poor army families.
The boys’ uniforms consisted of a red bob-tailed coat, white starched collar, knee britches, low shoes with a brass buckle, and leather caps, (the picture shows a similar asylum uniform).
They were educated in “reading, writing, and the useful parts of arithmetic”.
The teachers wore red bob-tailed coats, a white waistcoat and breeches, cockade hats and white wigs, and carried a sword.
An inspector’s report of 1811 was highly critical: ‘The children seemed to be labouring (under) the terror excited by several old sergeants, walking up and down the school-room, waving their well-waxed canes”.
In 1823, the boys were moved back to Chelsea, and girls were brought in, “to be trained for domestic service in needlework, and the different branches of household work”.
The girls’ uniforms had blue skirts and starched mop caps. In 1840, the last few of these were returned to Chelsea.
Asylum Road, between London Road and The Avenue, takes its name from the “Hampshire Female Orphan Asylum”, founded in 1837 by Dr. Robert & Mrs. Lindoe, “for the boarding, clothing and educating of Female Infant Orphans of the Town and the County”.
In 1825, the Lindoes had set up a Southampton branch of the Anti-Slavery Society. Lindoe Close in Freemantle is named after them.
A payment of £2 for each child was required on entrance, and £5 per year thereafter. Certificates were required of each child’s birth and baptism, of the marriage of their parents and the death of one or both of them, and a medical certificate of the girl’s good health.
No information is available as to what happened to those who were unable to provide these proofs.
Girls had to be aged between seven and 12 on the day of nomination and stayed in the asylum until about the age of 16, when situations as domestic servants were obtained.
Initially in a house in Kingsland Place, in 1840 it moved to larger premises in Albion Place.
Guidebooks of the 1840s refer to it as “a small asylum for female orphans, well supported and superintended by benevolent ladies”.
In 1853 it moved to 1-3 Park Road (now King’s Park Road), with a rear entrance to a lane off the south side of Bellevue Road; this became known locally as Asylum Lane, and was later formally named Asylum Road.
Later extensions allowed the Hampshire Girl’s Orphanage (as it was renamed) to house 90 girls by 1930.
During WW2, the home was evacuated to a house called Marden on Rhinefield Road, Brockenhurst, then it moved to a property known as Hawkes Lease, in Chapel Lane, Lyndhurst.
In 1958, it started to admit boys, and changed its name to the Hampshire Girls' and Boys' Home. In 1961 the home was taken over by the Waifs and Strays Society, later to become The Children's Society. It closed in 1982.
Martin Brisland is a tour guide with SeeSouthampton.co.uk .
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