St George's House, originally called the Northern Police Orphanage was located on Otley Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.
The Orphanage was founded in 1898 by Miss Catherine Gurney for the care and welfare of Northern Police Force children who had lost one or both parents. The children were housed in a building located on 12 acres (49,000 m2) of land on Otley Road, Harrogate. Born on 19 June 1848, to an affluent and religious middle-class Quaker family, related to the Gurney banking family of Norwich. Catherine Gurney was an amazing woman, challenging the social mores of that time which dictated that 'a woman's place was in the home'. The first indication of her drive & initiative came when, in the early 1870s, Catherine Gurney first began a Bible Class at Wandsworth. She then went on to form the International Christian Police Association in 1883 which resulted in a Police Institute being opened in London. Her next project in 1890 was a Police Convalescent Seaside Home at Clarendon Villas, West Brighton. The need for this type of care soon dictated a fund raising exercise which resulted in the opening in 1890 of the Southern Police Convalescent Home & Orphanage, Hove. This was later relocated to Redhill, where it became known as the Southern Provincial Police Orphanage.
In 1897 whilst visiting Harrogate, Catherine Gurney negotiated the purchase of St George's College building and grounds of 12 acres (49,000 m2), for the sum of ₤10,000. So began the Northern Police Orphanage (later renamed St George's House). The first child was admitted to the Orphanage in 1898 and, over the ensuing years, additional buildings were added to accommodate the growing number of children being cared for. Next to get Catherine Gurney's attention in 1901 was the building of the Northern Police Convalescent Home, being located on part of the original St George's 12 acres (49,000 m2). This was opened in 1903 and continues to provide care for members of the Police Force to this day, under the name The Police Treatment Centres.
Catherine Gurney was without doubt a remarkable woman, one who had the character & drive to plan & carry out a number of major projects, all with the common aim of assisting members of the Police Force and their families. She died on 11 August 1930 and at her request was interred on 13 August 1930 at All Saints Church Cemetery, Harlow Hill, Harrogate, near to St George's and St Andrew's, the two homes she had originated in Harrogate. Catherine Gurney's work is continued through both The St George's Police Trust (formed in 2006 after a merger between the Northern Police Orphans Trust and the St George's Fund) which is based in Harrogate and The Gurney Fund for Police Orphans based in Worthing.
Income is derived from regular subscriptions from the Police Forces, donations, legacies and investment income and, being registered charitable trusts, operate according to the aims of the respective trust deeds, which is, to provide and distribute grants and assistance to needy orphan children of the Police.
From January 1898 when the first child, Minnie Smith from Sunderland was taken in, until closure in 1956 due to the declining numbers of children in need, a total of 644 children had passed through the doors of St George's House was maintained by the voluntary subscriptions of the Northern Police Forces of England and Wales. The subscription amounted to 2d or 3d per officer per week and proved a successful method of assuring the regularity of income for the care of the children and maintenance of the House.