The Labourer's Friend Society was a society founded by

Lord Shaftesbury Earl of Shaftesbury is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II. He had already succeeded his fa ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

in 1830 for the improvement of working class conditions. This included the promotion of allotment of land to labourers for "cottage husbandry" that later became the allotment movement, which the Society campaigned for after the Swing riots of 1830 as "the most plausible remedy for the social problems of the countryside". It published the ''Labourer's Friend Magazine'', and in 1844 changed its title to the Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes, becoming the first

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 ...

in 1844. The Society received support from many influential figures of the time, including

Montagu Burgoyne Montagu Burgoyne (19 July 1750 – 6 March 1836) was a British politician and writer. Life Burgoyne was a younger son of Sir Roger Burgoyne, 6th Baronet (1710–1780) of Burgoyne of Sutton, Bedfordshire. He was a member of Trinity Hall, Camb ...

, Sir William Miles,

Mary Ann Gilbert Mary Ann Gilbert (1776 – 26 April 1845) was an English agronomist. Birth and childhood Mary Ann Gilbert was the daughter of Thomas Gilbert, who was a grocer in Lewes, Sussex. When he died in 1782, he left (by her own account) his widow an ...

and Lord Ashley, who was the primary influence behind the transition of the Society into a more powerful body. The new Society had the patronage of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

, the Prince Consort as president and Ashley as chairman. The company's architect was Henry Roberts, best known for Fishmongers' Hall in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. In 1959, the company became the 1830 Housing Society, which was taken over in 1965 by the

Peabody Trust The Peabody Trust was founded in 1862 as the Peabody Donation Fund and now brands itself simply as Peabody.

Buildings

Roberts's buildings made the SICLC a high-profile company with royal patronage and a display at the

Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took pl ...

; however, functional, utilitarian design of Roberts's buildings led to criticism that they were grim and unpleasant. Buildings included: *Model Buildings, Bagnigge Wells,

Pentonville Pentonville is an area on the northern fringe of Central London, in the London Borough of Islington. It is located north-northeast of Charing Cross on the Inner Ring Road. Pentonville developed in the northwestern edge of the ancient parish ...

for 23 families, and 30 aged women *George Street,

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest ...

, for 104 single men * Streatham Street,

, for 48 families *76

Hatton Garden Hatton Garden is a street and commercial zone in the Holborn district of the London Borough of Camden, abutting the narrow precinct of Saffron Hill which then abuts the City of London. It takes its name from Sir Christopher Hatton, a favouri ...

, for 57 single women *2 Charles Street,

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster. Notable landmarks T ...

, for 82 single men *A small lodging-house also for men, in King Street, Drury Lane *Turner Court,

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

Site Labour Supplies
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References

{{Authority control Organisations based in London with royal patronage Housing organisations based in London Philanthropic organisations based in England Model dwellings Organizations established in 1830 1830 establishments in England Poverty in England Working class in the United Kingdom

Buildings

See also

References