The Industrial Dwellings Society (1885) Ltd. (IDS) was formed in London during the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

as a philanthropic

model dwellings company Model dwellings companies (MDCs) were a group of private companies in Victorian Britain that sought to improve the housing conditions of the working classes by building new homes for them, at the same time receiving a competitive rate of return ...

, known at the time as the Four Per Cent Industrial Dwellings Company. In 1952 the organisation took its present name and form and is today commonly known as simply IDS. The IDS manages over 1,400 properties in the

London Borough The London boroughs are the 32 local authority districts that together with the City of London make up the administrative area of Greater London; each is governed by a London borough council. The present London boroughs were all created at ...

s of Hackney,

Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough covering much of the traditional East End. It was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former metropolitan boroughs of Stepney, Poplar, and Bethnal Green. 'Tower Hamlets' was originally ...

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

, Redbridge and Barnet, and the Borough of

Hertsmere Hertsmere is a local government district and borough in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Borehamwood. Other settlements in the borough include Bushey, Elstree, Radlett and Potters Bar. The borough borders the three north London ...

History

The foundation of the company followed the

United Synagogue The United Synagogue (US) is a union of British Orthodox Jewish synagogues, representing the central Orthodox movement in Judaism. With 62 congregations (including 7 affiliates and 1 associate, ), comprising 40,000 members, it is the largest ...

's enquiry into "spiritual destitution" in 1884.jewisheastend.com
/ref> The company was founded in 1885 by Rothschild and a board of other prominent,

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

philanthropists including Frederick Mocatta and

Samuel Montagu Samuel Montagu, 1st Baron Swaythling (21 December 1832 – 12 January 1911), was a British banker who founded the bank of Samuel Montagu & Co. He was a philanthropist and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1900, a ...

, to provide "the industrial classes with commodious and healthy Dwellings at a minimum rent".20th Century London
/ref> The company was founded as a private capital concern, with capital of £50,000 in 5000 shares of £10 each:

It is estimated that if the rentals were based on a net return of 4 per cent excellent accommodation consisting of two rooms, a small scullery, and w.c. could be supplied at a weekly rental of five shillings per tenement; and it is considered that many investors will be found willing and even anxious to contribute their capital towards a scheme, which while yielding a moderate and safe return, will largely tend, not only to improve the dwellings of the poor, but also reduce the high rates now paid for the minimum of accommodation.

Of this, Rothschild himself subscribed £10,000, and even paid for the site of the company's first project (in Flower and Dean Street,

Spitalfields Spitalfields is a district in the East End of London and within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The area is formed around Commercial Street (on the A1202 London Inner Ring Road) and includes the locale around Brick Lane, Christ Church, ...

) himself, months before the first meeting of the Company directors.White, J. (1980) ''Rothschild Buildings: life in an East End tenement block, 1887-1920'', p.21 These first buildings were to be known as Charlotte de Rothschild Buildings, after Lord Rothschild's mother, and took up parts of Thrawl Street, Flower and Dean Street, and George Street, Spitalfields. The majority of the Four Per Cent Company's tenants were Jewish. By 1905, it had built six large blocks (known as 'Rothschild houses' comprising around 1,500 flats, or 3,800 rooms. "Each had two rooms, shared a toilet and kitchen with the adjacent flat, and opened to outdoor halls and stairways. In order to reimburse investors at the promised rate, the six storey buildings occupies no less than 50% of the ground space and tenants paid about 5s to 6s a week (25p to 30p). These grey stone houses were drab and draughty, but they were also solid and sanitary, and were probably better flats than those in other projects of the time."

Present day

Today, IDS manages a large number of properties, predominantly in the East of London, but also in Southwark, Hertsmere and Barnet, including flats, houses,

sheltered housing Sheltered housing is a term covering a wide range of rented housing for older and/or disabled or other vulnerable people. In the United Kingdom most commonly it refers to grouped housing such as a block or "scheme" of flats or bungalows with a s ...

, accommodation for people with special needs,

key worker A key worker, critical worker or essential worker is a public-sector or private-sector employee who is considered to provide an essential service. The term has been used in the United Kingdom in the context of workers who may find it difficult t ...

housing and

shared ownership Equity sharing is another name for shared ownership or '' co-ownership''. It takes one property, more than one owner, and blends them to maximize profit and tax deductions. Typically, the parties find a home and buy it together as co-owners, but s ...

properties. It still specialises in culturally specific housing and acquired the Ajex Housing Association for Jewish ex-servicemen/women in 2006; IDS also work with the Otto Schiff housing association, Agudas Israel Housing Association and the Bangla Housing Association. IDS is chaired by Ray Peacock and the Chief Executive is Jonathan Gregory.

Buildings

Hackney, Navarino Mansions, E8 - geograph

* Charlotte de Rothschild Dwellings, Flower and Dean Street, Spitalfields (aka Rothschild Buildings) (1886) * Evelina Mansions, New Church Road,

Camberwell Camberwell () is a district of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles and a common of which Goose Green is a remnant. This ...

* Nathaniel Dwellings, Flower and Dean Street, Spitalfields * Mocatta House, Brady Street,

Whitechapel Whitechapel is a district in East London and the future administrative centre of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a part of the East End of London, east of Charing Cross. Part of the historic county of Middlesex, the area formed ...

(1890) * Navarino Mansions, Dalston Lane, Hackney (1903-5)Geograph
/ref> * Stepney Green Court, Stepney Green * Silver Jubilee Mews, Canvey Island

References

{{Model dwellings companies Philanthropic organisations based in England Model dwellings Public housing in England Housing organisations based in London Organizations established in 1885 1885 establishments in England Poverty in England

History

Present day

Buildings

Further reading

See also

References