Castle End Mission logo on jug

Castle End Mission / Castle End Working Men’s Institute / Morning School / Chinese Church

History of the Castle End Mission

1884

Mission opened. Its founder was Frances Whibley, wife of Mark Whibley local businessman. They lived at Hurst on Milton Road.

Mrs Whibley had started the Castle End Men’s Morning School in a cottage in Kettle’s Yard. She was a founding member of the Victoria Road Congregational Church and wanted to provide for the religious and educational needs of the poor. By 1884, she had sufficient funds to build the Mission Hall. Undergraduates helped her with the teaching.

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1907

1907 03 16

Castle End Reading Room – 07 03 16

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Castle End Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, ref. 07 03 16.

1907 03 19

Some years ago Cambridge Free Library opened a public reading room at the Castle End Mission and Working Men’s Institute. It has proved a boon to those who have used it. However the Institute’s work is growing and their newly-formed men’s club now has a comfortable room well equipped with daily, weekly and monthly papers, a cosy parlour for games, conversation & smoking and a first-class billiard room with full-sized table. Membership is open to all men over 18. 07 03 19

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Castle End Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, ref. 07 03 19.

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1912 10 25

Alterations to Castle End Institute Mission Hall mean that rooms are now well ventilated, brilliantly lighted with incandescent gas and have hot water heating apparatus. Two classrooms have been fitted up as a billiard room with a reading cum smoke room and a games room upstairs. The mission had begun at Frost’s Passage and Kettle’s Yard Night School where they had to tell the boys that soap was cheap and water was cheaper. The first site had proved unsuitable so the present site with a tiny grocer’s shop at the corner and some back-to-back cottages had been bought. Now it would meet the needs of the neighbourhood and make residents lives more beautiful 12 10 25c

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Castle End Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, ref. 12 10 25c.

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1913

Castle End Working Men’s Institute

1913 01 24

Castle End Institute is carrying out splendid work in this thickly-populated area. There is a first-rate billiard room for men, with reading and games room upstairs; boys have a gymnasium and there are weekly sewing classes for girls. A pulpit will shortly be added to the mission room which presents very bright appearance after its redecoration.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Castle End Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, ref. 1913 01 24.

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1920 12 09

Castle End Mission memorial Mrs Whibley – had visited poor in Castle End, started school in Frost’s Passage; 20 12 15a; photo – 20 12 22d

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Castle End Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, ref. 20 12 15a; 20 12 22d.

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1939

Bert Harrison of Birmingham and Violet Cullom of 6 Darwin Drive had a guard of honour formed by the Mission Campaign girls at their wedding.

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1959 11 21

Castle End Mission history – 59 11 21d

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Castle End Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, ref. 59 11 21d.

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2014

Mission closed

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