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H. was an orphan. He was the youngest of four boys, two of whom
were working. The brother nearest to him in age lived with an aunt in
Bridgwater, Somerset. The eldest brother, who was a 20 year old
clerk, partially supported his brothers; but he could not afford to
pay for H's weekly maintenance at a Home. The Vicar of Alton, Hants
promised to help and it was hoped that the Waifs and Strays' Society
would contribute towards the rest. H. was accepted by the
Society, and after initial reservations about his youth, he was
admitted to St Mary's Home, Runwell, Essex on 3 January 1902. A month
later H. was complaining of ill treatment. He alleged that the Master
of the Home had hit him with a stick with knotted rope attached to it
and also stated that another boy had been instructed to beat him
because he (H.) had wet his bed. An investigation was carried out and
the story of the stick with knotted rope was discounted as a
fabrication but Revd Edward Rudolf noted that H. continued to maintain that
other boys had been told to hit him and he felt that there was
possibly some truth in this. He requested the Home to stop this
practice at once if it was happening and reminded them of the correct
procedure should a boy need to be punished. H. was transferred to St Luke's Home, Burgess Hill on 3 March 1902. On 2 November 1905 he moved to St Benet's Home which aimed to teach boys a trade to enable them to be self supporting in later life. St Benet's Home was particularly associated with gardening. In November 1907 the authorities of the Home wrote to Revd Edward Rudolf telling him that they had received a request to discharge H. to a woman in Alton to learn cabinet making. They did not want him to go as "though not yet 15 years old, he is our best boy both in school and in [the] garden, and of great promise.I rather feel that he ought to rise, if properly assisted, above the rank of artisan." This plea fell on deaf ears however, as H's brother was determined that H. should take the opportunity which had arisen of learning cabinet making and the boy was discharged on 14 December 1907. |
