Tuesday Talks!

Why do Caledonian Road and Caledonian Park have Scottish names? Join us for a series of talks that explore the close connection between Scotland and Islington through the home and school called the Caledonian Asylum. For nearly 8 decades the sound of bagpipes and the sight of children in kilts must have been a familiar one in Islington. Their story illuminates 19th-century philanthropy, the creation and maintenance of cultural identity, education and urbanisation.

Tickets for all talks are free and may be booked via Eventbrite

27 April 2021

HOW SCOTLAND CAME TO ISLINGTON – THE BIRTH OF THE CALEDONIAN ASYLUM.

Speaker: Iain Monaghan.

Caledonian Road, Caledonian Market, Caledonian Park – they all took their name from one Islington building: the Caledonian Asylum. But that building was not the Asylum’s first home. Come with us as we look at the Asylum’s turbulent early years and its journey to Islington – with guest appearances from a Scottish piper at the battle of Waterloo and a charismatic Scottish preacher.

25 May 2021

PAUPERS & PIPERS – THE CHILDREN OF THE ROYAL CALEDONIAN ASYLUM

Speaker: Susan Hahn.

From the 1820s to the turn of the 20th century Islington was home to the Caledonian Asylum and school. Join us to explore the lives of the children at the school. How did the offspring of Scottish Soldiers and Sailors or poor Scots in London find their way to the school and what was life like when they got there? How did their school life compare to some other children in Islington?

29 June 2021

PHILANTHROPY & PANTO – HOW THE CHILDREN OF THE CALEDONIAN ASYLUM BROUGHT BRITAIN TOGETHER

Speaker: Iain Monaghan

In the late 18th century, wearing tartan was banned in Britain. A few decades later, tartan was the favourite holiday wear of the Royal Family and no major London charitable event was complete without a performance by the tartan-clad children of the Caledonian Asylum. Join us as we look at the part played by Scottish philanthropy – and the pageants, processions and performances of the children of the Caledonian Asylum – in achieving this transformation.

27 July 2021

A WALK DOWN THE CALEDONIAN ROAD

Speaker: Daniel Hausherr

We will walk the Cally – as locals insist on calling the road – and see its development before, during and after the Caledonian Asylum. We will trace the road’s history from green fields to busy urban landscape with inhabitants from further afield than Scotland. The Asylum gave its name to the road and many other nearby developments. Although it has been gone for a century we will trace the long shadow of the Asylum right to the present day.