Workhouses, industrial schools and remand homes

There were also a number of remand homes in Norfolk and Norwich.

Children could be placed in temporary custody at these homes before their court hearing or, in some cases, after they were given a magistrates' order.

For example, they may have been placed in the remand home while they were awaiting a suitable place at an industrial school or reformatory.

Many remand homes were established around the time of the Children's Act 1932.

Norwich Remand Home for boys (later Bramerton Lodge Remand Home)

The Norwich Remand Home for boys was situated at 141 Earlham Road, Norwich until 1940, when it moved to Bramerton, just outside the city. 

Bramerton Lodge was used jointly by the Norwich, Yarmouth, Norfolk and East Suffolk authorities.

At the time of transfer girls were still accommodated at St Augustine's Lodge, but in 1943, a site adjacent to the boys' remand home at Bramerton was purchased and approved by the Home Office.

It was sometimes referred to as Red House, Bramerton.

There are a variety of documents concerning the Bramerton remand homes: 

• For a register of the Norwich Remand Home for boys, 141 Earlham Road, 1929-40, see N/ED 7/5. The register gives: 
  • The child's name
  • Name of parent or guardian and home address
  • Details of court appearances
  • Note of the offence committed
  • Records of subsequent transfer to an industrial school or reformatory
  • Sometimes there are brief notes about the child's conduct or character and for some entries, there are copies of newspaper articles, usually reporting the court case or issue of a magistrate's order
• A register of boys and girls sent to the Norwich Remand Home, November 1932 to November 1936 and December 1936 to May 1937, is held by NRO but currently not on the public catalogue. The registers (closed to general public access for 100 years) record: 
  • The child's name
  • Name of parent/guardian
  • Admission date
  • When, where and by whom ordered to be detained
  • Charge
  • Order of detention
  • Child's previous character
  • Details of parents including their address, occupation, religion and character
  • A physical description of the child including height, build, complexion, hair colour, eye colour and distinguishing features
  • An assessment of the child's general health and level of education
  • Where sent on leaving detention and observations on conduct and character in detention.
  • For some entries, there are copies of newspaper articles, usually reporting the court case or issue of a magistrate's order, and correspondence between magistrates, Norwich Remand Home and the Norfolk education committee.
• Receipts of the Norwich Remand Home and Norfolk education committee concerning the conveyance of named children to various homes and approved schools, May 1936 to June 1937. These are held by NRO but are not on the public catalogue.
• For minutes of the remand home sub-committee, 1941-72, known as the Bramerton Lodge Remand Home sub-committee from March 1958, see C/C 10/515-519. For indexes to these minutes, 1951-72, see C/C 10/520-521.
• Norfolk education committee minutes concerning the Bramerton Lodge Remand Home for boys, 1940-51 and Bramerton Lodge Girls' Remand Home, 1943-49, are held by NRO but are not currently available via the public catalogue.
• For county architect's plans of Bramerton Lodge, 1943-52, see C/AR 1/330-361 and for copies of architectural drawings, 1964-75, see C/AR 3/1. For the proposed plan of the Girl's Remand Home, September 1943, see C/AR 1/342-343.
• For an admission register of boys and girls, November 1972 to February 1986, see ACC 2009/270. Please note that this register is closed to general public access for 50 years.
• For sale particulars, with a photograph and plan, for Bramerton Lodge, Norwich, 1987, see C/C 17/241.  It is described as a former juvenile remand home set in more than seven acres of mature wooded grounds with five bungalows.

Gorleston Remand Home

Records of Gorleston Remand Home, which took in boys and girls, include the following:

• For an admission register, 1934-40, see Y/ED 327. This gives the child's name, age, date and time of admission and discharge. It includes dates of court appearances and where they were sent on leaving the home, including names of approved schools.
• For case report books, c1934-40, see Y/ED 325-326. These give the child's name, offence, notes on behaviour and character and where they were sent on discharge, including names of approved schools. Dates of court appearances are given for some cases.
• For expenses accounts, 1934-39, see Y/ED 328. These give the child's name, dates and brief details of expenses, including the cost of their stay at the remand home and for attending court.