By 1884, 40 years after its establishment, the London Ragged School Union estimated that 400,000 children had attended its schools. This article explores how former scholars perceived and engaged with their old ragged school community. Existing scholarship on the movement draws predominantly on its promotional literature or institutional documents, yielding limited access to the testimonies of the children themselves. As such, understanding of the children’s experiences and perspectives remains partial. Drawing on a collection of 227 letters from 57 former scholars of Compton Place Ragged School, this article offers new insights into the role that the school, its teachers, and its pupils could continue to play. The correspondence analysed here demonstrates the critical assistance teachers offered to those overseas by relaying messages and locating loved ones. Ragged school teachers acted as an important link to Britain, a source of stability during times of uncertainty. In the same way, correspondents connected their teachers and institutions to their peers by offering information as to their whereabouts and wellbeing. As such, the letters reveal the existence of ragged school networks in emigrant communities; friendships forged in the classroom continued and developed overseas.

中文翻译：

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“给予我的爱”：前衣衫褴褛的学校学者之间的社区和友谊

到 1884 年，即成立 40 年后，伦敦破烂学校联盟估计有 400,000 名儿童就读于其学校。本文探讨了前学者如何看待他们破旧的学校社区并与之互动。现有的关于该运动的学术研究主要利用其宣传文献或机构文件，无法获得儿童自己的证词。因此，对儿童的经历和观点的理解仍然是片面的。本文收集了来自康普顿广场破烂学校的 57 位前学者的 227 封信件，对学校、教师和学生可以继续发挥的作用提供了新的见解。这里分析的信件展示了教师通过转发信息和寻找亲人向海外人士提供的重要帮助。衣衫褴褛的学校教师是与英国的重要纽带，英国是不确定时期稳定的源泉。以同样的方式，记者通过提供有关他们的下落和福祉的信息，将他们的教师和机构与同行联系起来。因此，这些信件揭示了移民社区中存在着破烂的学校网络；在课堂上结下的友谊在海外继续发展。因此，这些信件揭示了移民社区中存在着破烂的学校网络；在课堂上结下的友谊在海外继续发展。因此，这些信件揭示了移民社区中存在着破烂的学校网络；在课堂上结下的友谊在海外继续发展。