 including
Woolwich & Districts
|
Here
below are the part case histories of two young sisters, known
only as 'A' and 'M', that had a brief stay in the Plumstead
Workhouse.
Case 942
| Case
number: |
942 |
| Application
year: |
1887 |
| Name: |
M |
| Gender: |
Female |
| Year
of birth: |
1879 |
| Home: |
Olive
House Home For Girls, Hemel Hempstead |
| |
|
| Description: |
This
case file relates to two sisters, A. and M. Their mother
had died of consumption in March 1884. They lived in
one room in a house in Woolwich with their 12 year old
brother and their father who was an “indigent
and worthless man” and who was co-habiting with
a single woman. The house was being used as a brothel:
two married women, whose husbands were abroad, were
living there and working as prostitutes. The children
earned a few pence by waiting on the prostitutes and
running errands for them. They had also worked in this
way for prostitutes who lived in an adjoining house.
The children had hardly any clothing and were in a wretched
condition. The night before the application was made
the woman with whom the father was co-habiting had given
birth to a child. The children were the subject of orders
made at Woolwich Police Court sending them to the Certified
Industrial School at Hemel Hempstead. They were admitted
to the Home on 10 March 1887.
In
August 1890 the Revd Rudolf wrote requesting that A.
be transferred immediately to St Chad's Home for Girls,
Far Headingley. This did not happen. On 12 August 1890
A. was transferred to a Marylebone Home, possibly in
Blandford Square. It is not clear whether this was one
of the Society's Homes: it seems likely that it was
not. She went to a situation in Dover with children
from the Home. A letter from Hemel Hempstead written
on 8 September [1890] records that A. had left her situation
and was thought to have gone to her sister in Woolwich.
It was hoped to persuade her to go into service in a
good house otherwise her future was uncertain and the
writer of the letter felt that “if we lose her
now we lose her altogether”. On 16 September A.
was at back in Blandford Square, Marylebone with a Miss
Lee who was going to get her a situation. A. is next
heard of in June 1894. She was in a Female Mission in
Greenwich, pregnant and destitute. She did not know
the father of the baby and “her friends were bad”.
The Committee of the Mission had decided that she must
go into the Workhouse, but before this happened it was
decided to ask the Waifs and Strays' Society if they
could help in any way. The woman who had been living
with A's father had just gone into the Workhouse with
her children as A's father had left them and it was
not thought desirable for A. to be with them. If A.
went to the Workhouse it might be the “ruin of
her” but she needed financial help for any other
course of action. No Home would take a pregnant girl
without payment. There is no record of the Society's
reply on the file.
M.
remained at the Hemel Hempstead Home until she went
into service in Harrow on 31 March 1894. On 27 April
1895 she was readmitted to the Home and from subsequent
correspondence it appears that she stole money from
her employer. There was a dispute lasting some months
about the exact amount which was taken, the employer
claiming that it was a much greater sum than the girl
would admit to. M. was sent out to another situation
in Hemel Hempstead on 23 May 1895. In late 1895 M. came
back to the Home because she was ill. She was treated
in the West Herts Infirmary for a gastric ulcer and
it was proposed to send her to a convalescent home at
St Leonards on Sea for a change of air. Her employer
was concerned about her and was willing to have her
back. On 7 March 1896 M. was sent to a farm in Hemel
Hempstead but she was removed in April as it was too
rough and she had difficulty in getting to Church. It
was decided to send her to Bayswater to be a housemaid.
On 10 August 1896 M. returned to the Hemel Hempstead
Home. There is an undated [1896?] newspaper clipping
in the file concerning M's employer who was sentenced
to hard labour for acts of gross indecency. He had been
convicted in September 1894 for indecently assaulting
a young servant girl but had been released from his
term of imprisonment by the Home Secretary apparently
in consequence of ill health. |
|
Case
942.
Application
to Waifs and Strays' Society for A. 22 February 1887
1.
Give the child's christian name and surname.
A
2.
State the exact age, and give the date and place of birth.
13 Next May Born at Chatham 14th May 1872
3.
Legitimate?
yes
4.
If baptized, state place and date of baptism.
5.
Parents living?
Father Living
6.
If, however, either or both are dead, state of what disease
they died, and give the date of their death
Mother to [consumption] 12 March / 84
7.
If living, give their exact places of abode, and state how
long they have resided there.
Father Living at 2 Mary Ann Cottages Back Lane Woolwich
since 14th Aug
8.
Give the christian names and surnames of his parents (in full)
and state their ages.
Father G 43 Next Augst
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.
At Present No occupation
In Williams Union House, Chatham
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 the 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 the brothers and sisters of the child
NAME, ADDRESS, AGE, OCCUPATION, WEEKLY EARNINGS
R, Wilmington St Woolwich, 18, In service 4s
S, Mary Ann Cottages Back Lane, 12, at school
13. At what
address and with whom is the child now living?
Mary Ann Cottages,
Back Lane, Woolwich,
Living with the father
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
None
15. State
whether any of the child's relatives are in your judgment in
a position to maintain the child, or to contribute in any degree
to its support.
Relatives not known
16. Can
any payment for the child be guaranteed from any source.
None
17. Has
the child ever been convicted? Is so, state the nature of his
offence and term of imprisonment.
no
18. Has
it ever attended day school? If so, where and for how long?
19. Ever
attended Sunday School? Is so, where and for how long?
20. Has
the child ever been in the workhouse? If so, for how long and
where?
The Plumstead Workhouse five weeks
21. Has
the child any affections of the limbs, joints, skin or
eyes which may have the affect of preventing him from entering
domestic services?
22. Is
the child subject to fits? or has ie ever had one? If
so, state its nature. Is this child subject to incontinence
of urine?
23. Is
the child at present affected with any infectious or contagious
disease, or with scrofula requiring medical treatment?
24. Has
the child had scarlet fever, or whooping cough or
measles, or small pox? If not the latter, has it been
vaccinated?
25. Is
the child's general health good?
Copy of Medical Certificate attached - I hereby certify
that I have this day examined A & M & they are in a
good state of health
Woolwich
Feb.23.87.
W. M.D.
26.
Are the child's parents, grandparents or next of kin, willing
to sign an agreement to commit it wholly to the care of the
Managers of the Home, to obey the rules in force, and to permit
the said child when fully trained to be sent to any situation
in the United Kingdom, which may be obtained for it by the Managers?
yes I
certify that the foregoing questions have been correctly replied
to, to the best of my belief.
Name S
Address The Rectory, Woolwich Incumbent
of Woolwich Date
22 February 1889
This
is the application form for admittance to the Waifs and Strays
Society for younger sister 'M' (see also referance to question
20)
1.
Give the child's christian name and surname.
M
2. State
the exact age, and give the date and place of birth.
8 years 30th August next 1887
3. Legitimate?
Yes
4.
If baptized, state place and date of baptism.
5.
Parents living?
Father living
6.
If, however, either or both are dead, state of what disease
they died, and give the date of their death.
Mother Consumption 12 March /84
Brought on through a cold
7.
If living, give their exact places of abode, and state how long
they have resided there.
Mary Ann Cottages. Back lane Woolwich [?]
8.
Give the christian names and surnames of his parents (in full)
and state their ages.
Father G 43 Next August
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.
No occupation at present
Mr Williams 12 Union St Chatham
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 the parents or guardians ever received parish relief? If
so, to what extent?
Nil
12.
Give the names, addresses, ages, occupations and earnings (if
any) of all the brothers and sisters of the child
NAME, ADDRESS,
AGE, OCCUPATION, WEEKLY EARNINGS
R, Mrs P, [?] Wellington St Woolwich, 18, In Service,
4d
G Mary Ann Cottages Back Lane, 12 School
13.
At what address and with whom is the child now living?
Mary
Ann Cottages Back Lane Woolwich
Living with the Father
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
None
15.
State whether any of the child's relatives are in your judgment
in a position to maintain the child, or to contribute in any
degree to its support.
Relatives not known 16.
Can any payment for the child be guaranteed from any source.
None
17.
Has the child ever been convicted? Is so, state the nature of
his offence and term of imprisonment.
no
18.
Has it ever attended day school? If so, where and for how long?
19.
Ever attended Sunday School? Is so, where and for how long?
20.
Has the child ever been in the workhouse? If so, for how long
and where?
In Plumbstead Workhouse five weeks
21.
Has the child any affections of the limbs, joints, skin
or eyes which may have the affect of preventing him
from entering domestic services?
22.
Is the child subject to fits? or has ie ever had one?
If so, state its nature. Is this child subject to incontinence
of urine?
23.
Is the child at present affected with any infectious or
contagious disease, or with scrofula requiring medical
treatment?
24.
Has the child had scarlet fever, or whooping cough
or measles, or small pox? If not the latter,
has it been vaccinated?
25.
Is the child's general health good?
Copy of Medical Certificate attached. I hereby certify
that I have this day examined A. & M. & they are in
a good state of health.
Woolwich
23 Feb /87 W. M.D.
26.
Are the child's parents, grandparents or next of kin, willing
to sign an agreement to commit it wholly to the care of the
Managers of the Home, to obey the rules in force, and to permit
the said child when fully trained to be sent to any situation
in the United Kingdom, which may be obtained for it by the Managers?
Yes I
certify that the foregoing questions have been correctly replied
to, to the best of my belief.
Name S
Address The Rectory. Woolwich Incumbent
of Woolwich Date
22 February 1887
Some typical
photos of the Waifs & Strays children pre admission to
The Waifs and Strays Society
 |
 |
Brother
& sister admitted c.1890 |
Two
brothers admitted c.1890 |
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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