Catalogue description THE SUTTON HOUSING TRUST

The records consist of fine series of minutes and accounts. In particular there are detailed registers of tenants including information on income and employment, hundreds of photographs of estates and developments) and correspondence giving advice from people such as Octavia Hill and Charles Booth.

This collection complements the official LCC, MCC and GLC records on housing in the LMA and the records of other bodies such as the Hornsey Housing Trust (ACC/1523), the Great Western (London) Housing Association Ltd (ACC/2863) and the London Labour Party (ACC/2417). At the time of completing this catalogue, negotiations were successfully concluded for the deposit in the LMA of the records of the Peabody Trust.

In addition there is a specific file on the Sutton Dwellings Trust Estates in London prior to 1951 (ref LCC/AR/TP/2/121) and the History Library has some annual reports and accounts 1965-83 (ref 28.81 SUT).

For further details of the history of the Sutton Housing Trust see The Sutton Housing Trust, its foundation and history, by Harold Butcher and Ian Butcher, 1982 (ref.ACC/2983/239). A centenary booklet is available in the history library: "Building a Legacy: William Sutton and his Housing Trust 1894-1994,", P.L. Garside and Susannah Morris.

Sutton Housing Trust, 1894-

William Sutton Trust

The Sutton Dwellings Trust was founded under the will of William Richard Sutton, dated 15 August 1894. Sutton ran a carrier business from Golden Lane, Finsbury and built up a huge personal fortune through wise investments and business expansion. When he died in 1900, he left £1,500,000 for the provision of model low-rented dwellings for occupation by the poor of London and other towns and populous places.

Owing to legal difficulties over the interpretation of Sutton's will and the administration of his estate, the first dwellings in Bethnal Green (at Sceptre Road and Coventry Road) were not built until 1909. Later London schemes were at City Road and Old Street (1911); Chelsea (Cale Street and Elyston Street, 1913); Rotherhithe (Plough Way and Chilton Grove, 1916); Islington (Upper Street, 1926) and St Quintin Park, North Kensington (1930).

In the 1920s and 1930s the Trust extended its operations to other big cities such as Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sheffield, Birmingham, Hull, Plymouth, Bristol and Stoke on Trent. The original scheme was changed in 1927. The Trust always included an LCC/GLC member on its Board. The Trust undertook a further change in 1975 when it registered with the Housing Corporation and from the 1970s onwards has developed many new properties in different towns and cities to those listed above. It is a registered charity and has its Headquarters at Sutton Court, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5BB.

The records were originally surveyed by the Business Archives Council and an interim list produced. That list has now been superseded by this current list, and many reference numbers (originally by box number) have been changed. A cross-reference between old and new numbers is available for consultation on request.

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