Thomas John Barnado
Thomas
John Barnado (1845-1905) was born in Dublin, the
youngest of 11 children, of English Quaker stock on his
mother's side. His father was a Hamburg-born immigrant of
Jewish origins. In the four preceding centuries the
Barnados had moved from successive areas of intolerance
in Spain, Egypt, north Italy and north Germany.
Thomas was
a clerk when he joined the Plymouth Brethren in 1862. In
1866, after a spell of teaching in the Dublin slums, and
aged 21, went to London to study medicine. His aim was to
become a medical missionary in China. He trained at the
London Hospital, Whitechapel.
While
still a student began his work from 18 Stepney Causeway
and founded the East End Mission in 1867. This was
followed by a number of homes elsewhere in London which
became known as 'Barnado Homes'. Within the next forty
years more than 100 'homes' had been created and he and
the movement became the foster-parents of 60,000 homeless
children in all parts of the country. His wife Syrie Louise
Elmslie
(1848-1944) collaborated with him. (He was given 'The Cedars', a large red brick
Victorian house in South Hackney, by his father in law,
William Elmslie around 1879.)
In the
late 1870's he estimated there were 30,000 destitute
children in London. Many young people have had cause to
be grateful to him from that day to this.
He is
buried near the Barkingside 'village home' (Essex) for
girls.
(Part of
the above is extracted from The County Books:East London
by Robert Sinclair)
Victorian London - The Queen's
London : a Pictorial and Descriptive Record of the
Streets, Buildings, Parks and Scenery of the Great
Metropolis, 1896
DR. BARNARDO'S HOMES AT BARKING
SIDE
Dr. Barnardos Homes for Orphan and Destitute Girls are
the making of the Essex village known as Barking Side.
They were founded in 1866; and in these thirty or more
Homes, all erected by private donors, thousands of girls
have been trained for domestic service in such a thorough
fashion that there is always a great demand for them. The
Homes are built upon the plan of a college quadrangle,
and a pleasanter place could not well be provided. One of
the chief features of the village is the steam laundry,
where the washing for the Homes, as well as for the
establishment for boys elsewhere, is done. The girls are
received here from infancy onwards, and most of them
remain until they have attained the age of seventeen.
BARNARDO'S (DR.) HOMES. Head
Offices, 18-26 Stepney Causeway, E. - These Homes are
founded and carried on to rescue, train and place out in
life, destitute, orphan and waif children. So large is
this work, that the boys and girls in the Homes always
number about 8,000 and nearly 3,000 are admitted in each
year. There are 1,100 babies under care, and 1,150
children who are in some way afflicted (crippled, blind,
deaf and dumb, deformed etc.). This is the biggest
child-emigration agency in the world, sending out as it
does, 1,200 every year to Canada and the Colonies.
Already, 19,968 young people have been sent out, who were
once actually destitute and are now in 98 cases out of
every 100 self-supporting and prosperous Colonists. No
destitute child is ever refused immediate and free
admission, even if sick, afflicted, incurable or a
helpless infant. The book issued at 6d., entitled THE
LEAST OF THESE, gives a vivid description of the work and
how and where it is carried out, but the fact that the
amount required for food alone is £240 per day, gives
some idea of the huge wants of this great family. The
founder of the great work was the late Dr. Barnardo, who
has been succeeded by Wm. Baker, Esq., as Hon. Director
and Mr. George Code is Hon. Secretary.
Charles Dickens Jr. et al, Dickens Dictionary of London,
c.1908 edition (no date; based on internal evidence)
(See also
Memoirs by S L Barnado and Marchant 1907 and Lives by
Bready 1930 and A E Williams 1954.)
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