Sub-fonds - Records of closed or suspended Women's Institutes

Contains records received by the Norfolk Federation from individual Women's Institutes which had closed or been suspended. If a Women's Institute was suspended, it could go into abeyance for up to three years, during which time it could re-form and re-claim its existing records from the Federation. In most cases, an institute which was suspended did not re-form and, after three years had elapsed, any institute formed in the same area was usually viewed as a new foundation with new records. Records of the final meeting of an institute, which was usually attended by the Federation's Voluntary County Organizer (VCO), often give the reason for its closure and make it clear whether the group was closed, suspended or amalgamated with another Institute.