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In 1915 the Orphanage moved to Langley Hall at Langley (was in Buckinghamshire - now in Berkshire ). The orphanage was both a Home and a School to approx. 60 children - girls and boys. Some children were entered at 2 years of age, some at 5 years and others at later ages. Tuition was given and set to a high standard. At ages 15-17 pupils sat the School Leaving Certificate of Cambridge University and if 10 subjects were taken to Matriculation. The Home and School was moved to Silverlands at Chertsey, Surrey in 1938 where it remained until 1940 . In September 1940 the Orphanage was evacuated to the USA where the children were housed in NY City at the Edwin Gould Foundation . Children were sent to local schools and so ended the period of being a Home and a School. After the War ended the Fund established a Home (once again at Silverlands, Chertsey) and the children were sent to local schools. This arrangement ended in 1958 and The Actors' Orphanage ceased to exist. However the 1912 Fund was re-established as The Actors Charitable Trust and financial and care help was offered to those in need. It was good that Orphanges were no longer needed and that children were able to remain with families to be brought-up. Over the years many from the Theatrical Profession have given time and money to the running of the Orphange including some who became Presidents of the Orphange among whom are Sir Gerald Du Maurier , Noel Coward , Laurence Olivier and the present day President is Lord Richard Attenborough . This article was written by Roy Williams who was a pupil at the Orphanage from 1929 t0 1940. |
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