Records of the Travellers’ Aid Society

As described in the LSE catalogue, the archive consists of records of the Travellers’ Aid Society (TAS) Minutes of the General Committee and subcommittees (1885-1939), the Executive Committee (1886-1901) and the House and Staff Sub-committees (1896-1928); Annual Reports (1886-1914). The Travellers’ Aid Society (1885-1939) was established to aid female passengers arriving at ports and railway stations, where they were met by accredited station workers who reported to the Travellers Aid Society Committee. The work was initiated by the Young Women’s Christian Association but became an ‘umbrella’ initiative. The Committee included representatives from the Girls’ Friendly Society, Metropolitan Association for Befriending Young Servants, National Vigilance Association, and the Reformatory and Refuge Union as well as individual members. Local branches were established in Southampton (1891), Edinburgh (1895), Bristol (1895), Liverpool (1898), Hull (1903), and Birmingham (1909). Over time the early supporters dropped out and were not replaced. Thus from 1939 the Travellers’ Aid Society was administered as a separate body in the National Vigilance Association offices, in subsequent years maintained largely by National Vigilance Association funds. Station work continued in co-operation with the Young Women’s Christian Association until May 1952 when a decision was made to end this work.