Hidden Lives Revealed. A virtual archive - children in care 1881-1981 * Image of handwritten text

Case 6424

Case number: 6424
Application year: 1898
Name:

A (B)

Gender:

Female

Year of birth: 1886
Home: Leamington Home For Girls; Belbroughton Home For Girls; St Olave's Home For Girls, Exeter

Description:

A. was illegitimate. Her father had deserted her mother and now lived with another woman. The clergyman making the application to the Waifs and Strays' Society hoped the girl could be received into the Leamington Home and thought he might be able to obtain some payment for her maintenance. It was hoped to get the mother into service and there were promises for the support of the other children. A. was accepted as a rescue case, she was considered to be in moral danger if she remained with her mother. She was admitted to the Leamington Home on 30 April 1898. On 22 September 1898 A. was transferred to the Belbroughton Home in Stourbridge. On 21 August 1901 she went out to service in Worcester. When she went into service her aunt who lived in London wrote and asked her to give up her situation. She wanted her niece to come and live with her. It was decided by the Society that the girl should remain in her situation but she grew insolent and careless so her mistress decided not to keep her. The Belbroughton Home authorities hoped to get her into another Home for older girls. On 14 February 1902 A. was transferred to St Olave's Home, Exeter. She went out to service again but by 12 August 1902 her employer had given her notice because she was slovenly and untruthful. She was pretty but "vain, shallow and low minded." Miss Snowden of the Exeter Home felt that she might need to be in a "good stiff home" for at least another year before she was ready to go out to service again. Opinion was divided about the desirability of A. going to live with her aunt, some members of the Society wished to prevent it as they feared for A's moral welfare without their guidance, but there was also a suggestion that the aunt should be visited to see if she could provide a good home for the girl. In August 1903 A's mistress said she was unable to keep her and grave fears for her character were expressed by Miss Snowden. She felt that A. had "very little moral sense" and was "childish and cunning". There was a proposal that A. should again return to St Olave's Home but eventually on 12 September 1903 A. went to London to live with her aunt.


Keywords: Abandonment; Behaviour; Illegitimacy; Maintenance

Items: 1. Application to Waifs and Strays' Society 24 March 1898
2. Letter from Revd H. commending A's case 6 March 1898
3. Letter from Revd H. 6 April 1898
4. Letter from the Belbroughton Home about A's future (A. is referred to by her second name, B.) 29 January 1902
5. Copy letter acknowledging above letter from Belbroughton 30 January 1902
6. Copy letter to Miss M. Senior asking if she can take A. 7 February 1902
7. Letter from the Belbroughton Home asking if another Home has been found for A. 7 February 1902
8. Card from Miss Senior saying that Miss Snowden at St Olave's Home will take A. 8 February 1902
9. Copy letter to A's employer asking her to send A. to London 10 February 1902
10. Letter from St Olave's Home asking for information about A. 12 February 1902
11. Letter from the Belbroughton Home about A's journey to London 13 February 1902
12. Copy letter to Miss Snowden 14 February 1902
13. Letter from Miss Snowden 15 February 1902
14. Letter from Miss Snowden about A. being given notice by her employer 12 August 1902
15. Letter from Miss Snowden saying that if A. went to live with her aunt she would eventually return to her mother and face "almost certain ruin" 14 August 1902
16. Copy letter from Revd E. Rudolf 15 August 1902
17. Letter from Miss Snowden (A. is referred to by her second name B.) 22 August 1903
18. Letter from Miss Snowden (A. again referred to as B.) 23 August 1902
19. Letter from Miss Snowden 24 August 1902
20. Copy letter to Miss Snowden (A. referred to as B.) 26 August 1902
21. Copy letter to Miss Snowden about visiting A's aunt August 1902
22. Letter from Miss Snowden about A's dismissal from her situation and her character 13 August 1903
23. Copy letter to Miss Snowden 14 August 1903
24. Letter from Miss Snowden informing Revd Edward Rudolf of A's return to her aunt [September 1903]




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