| Description: |
M's father died in the Royal Free Hospital, London under anaesthetic during an operation for an abscess in March 1902 and his widow and five young children moved to Carlisle soon afterwards. It appears that the mother's family came from Cumberland, judging by the addresses of her relations and the birthplaces of the children. M's mother struggled to care for her family. She was hard working and kept the children clean and tidy but she could not earn enough to support them all. Unfortunately none of her relations were in a position to help her. The local vicar who completed the application hoped that at least two children could be cared for by the Waifs and Strays' Society and he filled in the details of several of the children leaving the choice to the Society. The eldest child, M. was admitted to St Oswald's Home, Cullercoats on 10 December 1902. Most of the correspondence on the file concerns her younger sister, M. The girls' mother and Revd B. hoped that the younger girl could be admitted to the same Home as her sister, but unfortunately there were no vacancies. In March 1903 M. (the younger sister) was offered a place at St Cuthbert's Home, Darlington but it was not taken up as her mother re-married and was again able to care for all her children. M. was removed from St Oswald's Home and returned to her mother on 15 June 1903. |
