Chronology of Queen Mary College

Beaumont Institute 1841-1882. 1841, John Thomas Barber Beaumont died and endowed his vision of a philosophical institution to be founded by granting the Beaumont Institute with £300 a year and a trust fund of £13000. 1882, Beaumont Institute closed. Local criticism developed concerning closure and Sir Edmund Hay Currie was approached for assistance in mobilising the Trust, set up by Barber Beaumont, for a Charity to benefit inhabitants of Beaumont Square and the surrounding neighbourhood.

People's Palace Project. Sir Edmund Hay Currie became Chairman of Trustees of Beaumont Trust and a meeting took place at Mansion House in support of the project. It was intended that the institution would provide educational advantages like those of City of London College, evening classes, a library, reading rooms and recreational activities. In July 1884,  a meeting took place to publicise intentions of the Trustees of Beaumont Trust and seek local support held at Bethnel Green Museum, to which Prince and Princess of Wales attended. Dissolution of Bancroft's Hospital completed with the approval by Her Majesty in Council of a new scheme under which the foundation was officially designated Bancroft's School. 1885, Drapers Company agreed to sell the site of the Bancroft's Hospital to the Beaumont Trustees. May 1885, Drapers Company Court of Assistants resolved to grant £20000 for the provision of the technical schools of the People’s Palace. Also subsequently paid for the gymnasium and south front buildings. June 1885, meeting of Beaumont Trust concerning proposed People's Palace at a Mansion House, attended by Prince of Wales, who expressed deep interest in scheme. November 1885, first public appeal for funds for proposed People's Palace. 1886, E.R.Robson appointed architect for People's Palace and drew up first proposed design. June 1886, Prince of Wales laid foundation stone of the Queen’s Hall. September 1886, Bancroft's School left Mile End Rd and moved to Woodford site.

June 1887, Library foundation stone laid.

10 October 1888, People’s Palace Journal (Vol II) refers to the ‘Whitechapel Murders’, commenting that 'champions of ‘Women’s rights’ had been writing to the papers to show that the Whitechapel murders are in some way connected with the lenient sentences passed on men who have brutally ill treated women. ‘There does not seem to be much in this argument but it is true that men guilty of the most shocking cruelty to women are constantly sentenced to utterly inadequate terms of imprisonment…that a man who steals a few turnips is far more severely punished than a man who kicks his wife’s head open’.

Drapers Company undertook to contribute £7000 a year to the Palace for 10 years. The Master of and Clerk to the Company and five persons appointed by it, were to become members of the People’s Palace Governing Body.

Gift of Drapers Company of £5000 for construction of a separate engineering laboratory and workshop.

Bow and Bromley Institute amalgamated with the People’s Palace and teaching continued there as a branch of East London Technical College, until it closed in 1911.

1902-1909, the Library furnishings and holdings transferred to Mile End Old Town Vestry Building for the public library, and the People's Palace Library stood empty. In 1909 the Library was converted into a Recreation Hall, and remained until 1920.

East London Technical College name changed to East London College and its objects redefined to promote higher educated in East London.

East London College admitted as a School of the University of London for a period of 3 years. Drapers Company allocated grant of £2000.

Professorial Board instituted and Faculties of Arts, Science and Engineering established.

Issue of first East London College Magazine. The Students Union has produced 3 different magazines over the years. The East London College and Queen Mary College Magazine ran until 1936 when it was replaced with Leopardess, which ran until c1971. A third magazine and newspaper, Cub was started in 1946 and still runs today.

Council of East London established as Governing Body distinct from that of the People’s Palace.

Outbreak of World War One 28 July 1914.

College accepted a proposal that it should admit the London Hospital Medical College students preparing for the Preliminary medical examination.

Preliminary course in engineering and science established for men who wished to enter the services as pilots. College applied to University unsuccessfully for the establishment of a chair in aeronautics.

Palace agreed that the College might use rooms under the winter garden for chemical lab and handed over the old library (Octagon) which had been used as a recreation hall since 1909.

Common room for women students opened. College refused to agree to a mixed common room.

College purchased Forest Lodge at Whipps Cross for women students’ hostel (1924-1937) to which an annex was added 1930.

College purchased Elmshurst to house women students.

Prof MacGregor Morris recommended establishment of high voltage laboratory in University of London and Central Electricity Board welcomed proposal to set one up at East London College.

University agreed to grant of £10000 for high voltage laboratory but plans had to be deferred.

Special Committee appointed on development of the College. Chairman of the Governers of the People Palace and the Council of the College advised that Peoples Palace and East London College be amalgamated and that Governers of Peoples Palace and Council of College should apply for Royal Charter.

Nov 1931 to March 1932, Charity Commissioners Public Inquiry into fire in Queens Hall. They found that St Helens Terrace was sufficient for new Queen’s Hall and the forecourt, winter garden and small hall sufficient for College.

Major General Sir Frederick (Barton) Maurice Principal of East London College and Queen Mary College, 1933-1944.

East London College name changed to Queen Mary College and Charter of Incorporation of Queen Mary College granted.

Electrical engineering block under construction.

March, Foundation stone of new Peoples Palace laid by Lord Mayor.

February, George VI opened People's Palace.

May, Lynden Hall opened as a new womens' hostel residence by Queen Mary.

May 1939, Academic Board was warned that in the event of an emergency the College would be transferred to Cambridge, male students to Kings, female students to Girton. June 1939, Kings Provost welcomed male students (90) and staff and Mistress of Girton welcomed (80) female students.

September 2nd Battalion Tower Hamlets marched into College. Occupation became so intense that Principal’s office had to be moved to Kings College.

250 officers and men of Auxiliary Pioneer Corps arrived to assist clear up of East London. After July Stepney Borough Council became tenants. Dytchleys was taken over by Essex Education Committee, Lynden Hall by Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, Elmshurst used as headquaters of Anti-Aircraft Brigade.

Damage to College buildings: Destruction of the west lodge, serious damage to the clock tower and to the East Lodge.

July 1944, flying bomb fell in grounds of Mile End Hospital near the main block, causing damage to most of the College buildings and the roof of the high voltage laboratory. December 1944, Lynden Hall further damaged by blast.

October 1945, College reopened in London. 2 hostels were opened, Dytchleys sports ground and the library were not available in the first term.

May 1946, College agreed to make an offer for site of St Benet's Church and Vicarage.

Sir Thomas (Percival) Creed (1897-1969) Principal Queen Mary College 1951-1967.

June 1953, opening of nucleur particle laboratory by Sir George Nelson.

May 1964, installation work for Marshgate Nuclear Reactor Critical Assembly completed.

July 1966, nucleonics laboratory completed.

April 1968, Report of the Royal Commission on Medical Education (Todd Report), recommended the association of St Barts Medical College and the London Hospital Medical College with Queen Mary College.

In 1973 The Queen Mary College Act was passed "to authorise the disposal of the Nuevo Burial Ground in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and to authorise the use for other purposes of the site thereof..." This Bill enabled the College to purchase the Nuevo Spanish and Portugese (Sephardi) Jews of London  Burial Ground, with the exception of a restricted area which was leased from the London Sephardi Trust for 999 years. A contract was signed with the London Necropolis Company Ltd for the disinterment of some 7000 human remains, that had been buried up to about 1850. By October 1974 the remains had been reinterred in a plot of land at Dytchleys.

June Nucleonics Reactor at Marshgate closed.

Jarratt Committee Report published. The Jarratt Report was the report from the Steering Committee for Efficiency Studies in Universities, chaired Sir Alex Jarratt, and was published in 1985.  The report responded to the growing need for universities to provide evidence of efficiency and accountability for public funds, and impacted widely on the management of universities after its report.

Professor Ian Butterworth Principal Queen Mary College 1986-1990.

Westfield College merges with Queen Mary College, Queen Mary and Westfield College is
incorporated by Royal Charter. Queen Mary and Westfield College Act, 27 July 1989: “Act to transfer to Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London all rights, properties, assets and obligations of Queen Mary College and Westfield College and to dissolve those colleges…”