Hi All
I have just come across this thread in relation to some research I am doing and wanted to add to the info provided by others based on my research>
Wallingford opened in 1912 (others have said 1911 ) for boys and men who were not of full mind. Usually it was for epileptic men and was based on the idea of a German Socialist group and I would say something similar to the bruderhoff of today. As others have said it was the intention of teaching this young boys and men (some to the age of 50) skills that they could use in the "new world". Ie our new colonies. My research of one person as shown that they were not always sent out to the new world. Unfortunately due to closure rules I am as yet unable to access any more records on my subject until January next year so I wont find out who put him there (I am assuming the board of guardians for his poor union) and when he was discharged/left.
As others have said it later became a reform type school where those who couldnt be educated in normal surroundings were sent or those who had come into the arms of the law. It would seem that it started to lose money around the 70s and was later sold off.
I appologise for the repeating of some information but I cuoldnt tell the history as I understand it without doing so
Rob
