[4] Surr campaigned over a number of years against the handling by Thomas Urquhart Scrutton (1828–1896) of London School Board issues.

Three of those were Upton House, expenditure on a training ship Shaftesbury moored on the River Thames, and the St Paul's Industrial School allegations.

[8] As a consequence, Home Secretary Sir William Harcourt ordered the school to be closed, and set up an inquiry.

[7] The board's own discussions of the matter showed up internal divisions, with an "official group" led by Scrutton and Edward North Buxton, who were Liberal Party supporters, confronted by Surr's "independent" group of radical reformers backed by Helen Taylor and Florence Fenwick Miller.

[8] Its investigating committee failed to inspire confidence in Benjamin Lucraft and Edith Simcox, who refused to serve on it, considering it was packed with Scrutton's supporters.

[14] In 1873 Scrutton founded St Paul's Industrial School for Boys in Burdett Road, Limehouse, London, and was the designated manager in its certification in February of that year.

[1] The school's governor, John Hinchliffe, received payment from Scrutton, per boy: the sum was considered too small by Surr and Taylor, who uncovered evidence of malversation of funds for food and clothing, and the diet contained little meat.

[8] In June 1882, Scrutton brought a successful action for libel against Helen Taylor, who had accused him, in a letter to a board member, of accepting money for the industrial school on false pretences, and blamed him for deaths of boys there.

[18] The court case involved top barristers, but the judge Sir Henry Hawkins was unhappy with its conduct and the way Edward Clarke defending raised issues on the school's management.