The College owes its origin to Dr. J. P. Kay-Shuttleworth and Mr. E. C. Tufnell, Assistant Poor-Law Commissioner, who with the view of establishing a Normal School in this country for imparting to young men that due amount of knowledge and training them to those habits of simplicity and earnestness which might render them useful instructors to the poor, travelled to Holland, Prussia, Switzerland, Paris and other places that they might witness the operations of such educational schemes as had been projected by Pestalozzi, De Fellenberg and others interested in promoting the education of the poor. The plan suggested by Dr. Kay-Shuttleworth and Mr. Tufnell met with the hearty and most cordial approval of the Vicar, the Hon. and Rev. R. Eden, who offered them the use of his village schools to carry out their benevolent intentions. In 1840 they selected a commodious manor house near the river Thames, at Battersea. Boys as students were first obtained from the School of Industry at Norwood, who were to be kept in training for three years. Subsequently some young men joined the Institution whose period of training was necessarily limited to one year. In 1843, the Directors, Dr. Kay-Shuttleworth and Mr. Tufnell, who had supported the Institution by their own private means, had it transferred into the hands of the National Society. The Continental modes of instruction which had been adopted, such as Mulhauser's method of writing, Wilhelm's method of singing, Dupuis' method of drawing, etc., were so satisfactory that a grant of £2,200 for the enlargement and improvement of the premises was made to them by the Committee of Council on Education which was transferred to the National Society and without delay disbursed in completing the alterations required. In the early part of 1846 a new class-room was erected. "The Institution is supported by the National Society's special fund for providing schoolmasters for the manufacturing and mining districts. Only young men are received as students, whose term of training is generally two years." THE VICARAGE HOUSE SCHOOL is also situated here. Principal: Miss Crofts. Fees from half a guinea to a guinea per quarter, according to age and attainments. The only extra subjects are Music and French. On the border of the river between Albert Bridge and Watney's Distillery are several wharfs and factories. Ribbon Factory of Cornell, Lyell and Webster; the Glove Factory of Fownes & Co.; Garton, Hill & Co.'s Sugar Refinery now in course of erection; Orlando Jones & Co.'s Rice Starch Manufactory; Denny's (Creek) Flour Mills;[1] Price's Patent Candle Company's Factory; B. Freeman & Co.'s Varnish and Color Works; T. Whiffin's Chemical Manufactory; Nash and Miller, Barge Builders; A. B. Cox, Barge and Boat Builder; Watney's Malt Houses. [Footnote 1: A pair of 4-ft. stones will grind four bushels per hour.]