Royal Naval Asylum

[1][2] The school was founded by a Mr Andrew Thompson who strongly excited the charity of the British population by his ideas for a small "industrial school" for the orphans of military and naval personnel killed in action whilst defending Britain's interests.

The school provided basic education to children, as well as military drill and armed forces training.

[3] The school was begun in Clarence House, Paddington Green, but Thompson was rapidly overtaken by scandal insinuating fraud on his part.

King George III gave it the title Royal Naval Asylum following the defeat of the combined French and Spanish Fleets by the British at the Battle of Trafalgar.

This move, and the subsequent expansion were assisted by a large grant of over £61,000 by Lloyd's Patriotic Fund.