History of KLS
The Origin
Katherine Mackay Low was born in Georgia, USA on July 9th 1855. Her parents were British, and when her mother died in 1863, her father, a prosperous merchant and banker, brought his family back to England and settled in Leamington. When he died, the family came to London, and Katherine devoted herself to the care of the less fortunate. When she died, on January 2nd 1923, her many friends decided to create a memorial to her which would also further the kind of service to which she had devoted herself.
Battersea at the beginning of the 20th Century was an industrial and poor part of London, and the area around Orville Road, Green Lane and Battersea High Street was particularly deprived. In 1899 Charles Booth’s survey found Orville Road occupied by ‘thieves, prostitutes, cadgers, loafers’, the few decent residents being men with large families driven there ‘in despair of getting rooms elsewhere’.
It soon attracted the attention of social workers, based at Canon Erskine Clarke’s clergy house, the Cedars, and from 1906 in the new Cedars Club or Institute adjoining. The mission there foundered after the First World War, when ill-health forced the retirement of its principal, Nesta Lloyd, but in 1921 she passed the baton to a Christ’s College, Cambridge initiative, Christ’s College Boys’ Club, and followed this up in 1923 by introducing the all-female Katherine Low Settlement to the club as its tenant at the Cedars.
Katherine Low’s friends raised the funds and on May 17th 1924, HRH the Duchess of York (later Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) came to Battersea and declared open the Katherine Low Settlement.
Katherine Mackay Low died on January 2nd, 1923, her many friends decided to create a memorial to her which would also further the kind of service to which she had devoted herself
Our History
Start
1924
On May 17th, 1924, HRH the Duchess of York (later Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) came to Battersea and declared open the Katherine Low Settlement.
1923
Katherine Low died on January 2nd and her friends raised funds for a memorial to her, and with this they bought the Cedars.
1921
The mission foundered after the First World War, when ill-health forced the retirement of its principal, Nesta Lloyd and it was taken on by Christ’s College Cambridge who ran the Christ’s College Boys’ Club
1906
The three storey club rooms building was rebuilt next to the vicarage.
1882
The Cedars boys club and mission to the poor was founded.
1872
Canon Erskine Clarke became vicar of St Mary’s Battersea, but chose not to live in the vicarage. It was taken on by settlement workers of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge who had established a mission to the poor in nearby Holman Road.
1863
Katherine Low moved to the UK in 1863. She went on to attend Francis Holland School in Sloane Square and devote her life to helping others, mainly in Peckham, East London
1860
The railway was built through the grounds of the vicarage and the Vicar of Battersea, Rev John Jenkinson, moved out.
1855
Katherine Mackay Low was born in Georgia USA.
1760
The large house at what is now 108 Battersea High St was built at as a private house in Battersea Village (picture of the Grade 2 listed house front). It later became the vicarage for St Mary’s church.