 including
Woolwich & Districts
|
Poverty
in our area
The poverty
that prevailed through out Victorian England and indeed the whole
of Britain, coupled with often draconian laws, impacted and effected
peoples lives. In particular it often affected those folk trapped
at the bottom of the class struggle. A very wide class gap existed
between the rich and the poor, between 'the have and the have
not's.' This is reflected somewhat in the following literature,
extracts that outline actual case histories concerning the, all
too often, sad plight of children that found themselves at the
mercy of the many homes for children and the Work House. The following
are just a few of the case histories regarding children from the
Woolwich and Plumstead areas during the late 1800's to early 1900's.
Case 86
| Case
number: |
86 |
|
| Application
year: |
1882 |
| Name: |
C |
| Gender: |
Female |
| Year
of birth: |
1873 |
| Home: |
Old
Quebec Street Home For Girls, Marylebone |
| |
|
| Description: |
C
and her little brothers were left living in army barracks
when their father, a gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery,
was put in prison. Their mother had died of sunstroke
sometime earlier. C went into the Old Quebec Street
Home in November 1882. The War Office deducted three
pence per day from her father's salary as a contribution
towards C's maintenance. In 1888 C went into service
with a Miss L. Later on she went to India with a couple
although the details of this are not clear. C's father
was discharged from the army in February 1884. By March
1885 he was living in Massachusetts in the United States
with other members of the family. |
| |
|
|
C. accepted
Nov. 20/82
Amount due
from War Office from 25 April/83 to 12 Oct./86.
180 weeks or 1260 days @ 3 per day = £15. 15.
Wrote Offr. comd. B. Battery. B Bde RHA Woolwich
Oct. 21.86 See reply at back of Mr. Rudolf's reply
In replying,
quote the following Number
WAR OFFICE,
PALL MALL, S.W.
4ba
House Bdes
335
25th April 1883
Sir,
IN reply
to your application of the 19th Instant I am directed by the
Secretary of State for War to inform you that, but virtue of
the power vested in him by the 145th Section of the Army Act,
1881, he has directed the Officer Commanding the B/B Bde R.H.A.
to which Gunner F. belongs, to withhold three pence from his
daily pay, which sum will be sent to you monthly by the Officer
Commanding, towards the support of his child.
I am, however,
to make it clearly understood that, as this stoppage can only
be made from the daily pay of Gunner F. you will not receive
such stoppage should his pay be forfeited by misconduct or otherwise.
Any future
application you may have to make on this subject should be addressed
to the Officer commanding the B. Battery "B" Bde R.H.A.
at present at Woolwich.
I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
H.G. Deedes
E. de M.
Rudolf Esq.
Secretary of the Church of England
Central Home for Waifs & Strays,
32 Charing Cross SW.
Overwritten:
ack. 25 Ap. 83
Case 86
2. Statement by C's father 11 November 1882
I F. do hereby
agree to commit my daughter K. wholly to the care of the Managers
of the Church of England Home for Waifs and Strays, to obey the
rules in force, and to permit the said girl when fully trained
to be sent to any situation in the United Kingdom, which may be
obtained for her by the Committee.
Woolwich,
November 11th 1882. F.
Case 86
1. Application to Waifs and Strays' Society 14 November 1882
Put on free
list October 26/86
1882 Accepted.
Received into London House for girls.
Payment of 1/- per week to commence at once, & a further
payment by father on his release from prison.
Received
Nov. 20th 1882. [SS] A M Lee into Old Quebec Street House.
[With] Capt. Edwards
16 Sep 85 Rear House Artillery, Woolwich SE
on recommendation of Rev. J. W. [Haske] as to [?] contribution
from father.
18 Ap. 83 [?] Asst Adjt Sgt R.A. Harrington [?]
25 April 83. [ride] [annexed] [?] from War Office. 3d per day
to be deducted from father's pay & handed to the Society.
6 Oct. 1888 Placed in service with Miss L. [Bryanston] St Luke
Williams case book
- 1.
Give the girls's christian name and surname.
- C.
- 2.
State her exact age, and give the date and place of her birth.
- 9 years
6 months. Moran 24-5-73.
- 3.
Is she legitimate?
- Yes.
- 4.
If baptized, state place and date of baptism.
- Yes.
Moran 25-1-79.
- 5.
Are her parents living?
- Only
her father living
- 6.
If, however, either or both are dead, state of what disease
they died and give the date of their death
- Mother
- Dead - disease Sunstroke.
- 7.
If living, give their exact places of abode, and state how
long they have resided there.
- Father
- Woolwich at present undergoing a term of imprisonment.
- 8.
Give the christian names and surnames of her parents (in full)
and state their ages.
- Mother
- F., Deceased 28-5-79 at Curalior.
- Father
- F. 36 4/12 years
- 9.
What was or is the nature of the father's occupation and the
amount of his weekly earnings? Give the name and address of
his present or last employer.
- Gunner
R.H.G. Daily pay 1/4 of which 4 1/2 is deducted for [messing]
& washing. (No pay during imprisonment). Office Commanding
B/B R.H.G. Woolwich.
- 10.
What was or is the nature of the mother's occupation and the
amount of her weekly earnings? Give the name and address of
her present or last employer.
- 11.
Have her parents or guardians ever received parish relief?
If so, to what extent?
- No.
- 12.
Give the names, addresses, ages, occupations and earnings
(if any) of all her brothers and sisters.
- NAME,
ADDRESS, AGE, OCCUPATION, WEEKLY EARNINGS
- F.,
R.G. Barracks, Woolwich, 12, Grand boy at R.G. Institution,
57-
- J.,
6, none
Overwritten
in pencil: SW/SWA/CF/1/86
- 13.
At what address and with whom is the girl now living?
- With
the Mission woman - Mrs. Clayton James St. Woolwich
- 14.
Give in full the names, addresses, ages, occupations and earnings
of each living relative the child is known to possess either
on the father's or mother's side such as grandparents, uncles,
aunts, &c.
- DEGREE
OF RELATIONSHIP, NAMES, ADDRESS, AGE, OCCUPATION, WEEKLY EARNINGS
- No relations
on mother's side.
- Father's,
Mother & Sister, Crawford, United States of America, not
known
- 15.
State whether any of her relatives are in your judgment in
a position to maintain her, or to contribute in any degree
towards her support.
- 16.
Has she ever been convicted? Is so, state the nature of her
offence and term of imprisonment.
- No.
- 17.
Has she ever attended day school? If so, where and for how
long?
- Yes
the R.G. School since she was 4 years old.
- 18.
Has she ever attended Sunday School? Is so, where and for
how long?
- Yes.
- 19.
Has she ever been in the workhouse? If so, for how long and
where?
- No.
- 20.
Has she any affections of the limbs, joints, skin or
eyes which may have the affect of preventing her from entering
domestic services?
- 21.
Is she subject to fits or has she ever had one? If so, state
its nature. Is this child subject to incontinence of urine?
- Fit
in all respects [?]
- 22.
Is she at present affected with any infectious or contagious
disease, or with scrofula requiring medical treatment?
- 23.
Has she had scarlet fever, or whooping cough or
measles, or small pox? If not the latter, has she
been vaccinated?
- 24.
Is her general health good?
- 25.
Are her parents, grandparents or next of kin, willing to sign
an agreement to commit the girl wholly to the care of the
Managers of the Home, to obey the rules in force, and to permit
the said girl when fully trained to be sent to any situation
in the United Kingdom which may be obtained for her by the
Managers?
- Yes.
Her father has signed the necessary form of agreement.
- I
certify that the foregoing questions have been correctly replied
to.
- Name
- E.
- Address
- The Common Woolwich
- Incumbent
of - Military Chaplain
- Date
- November 14th 1882
The little
girl C. is at present with my Mission woman as Mr. F. is in
prison & she was left alone in the Barrack room with her
little brothers only a thin wooden partition to divide their
bed from all the rest of the men, & I did not consider it
a fit place for the girl. I am most anxious to get her into
some house or school, but only can pay 1/- per week. I hope
you will take the case into yr. kind consideration. I remain
Yr. Faithfully
Emma S.C. Bingham.
Put on free
list October 26/86
1882 Accepted.
Received into London House for girls.
Payment of 1/- per week to commence at once, & a further
payment by father on his release from prison.
Received
Nov. 20th 1882. [SS] A M Lee into Old Quebec Street House.
[With] Capt. Edwards
16 Sep 85 Rear House Artillery, Woolwich SE on recommendation
of Rev. J. W. [Haske] as to [?] contribution from father.
18 Ap. 83 [?] Asst Adjt Sgt R.A. Harrington [?]
25 April 83. [ride] [annexed] [?] from War Office. 3d per day
to be deducted from father's pay & handed to the Society.
6 Oct. 1888 Placed in service with Miss L. [Bryanston] St Luke
Williams case book
refer to
www.victorianlondon.org
for this and other fascinating facts and pictures
Hidden Lives
Revealed A Virtual Archive - Children in Care - 1881 -1918 ©
The Children's Society
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