Case 588

The boy's father seems to have been in fairly good circumstances as a "general dealer" at one time, & before his health began to fail, but for some time before his death he had become very poor so that his children had great difficulty in paying even small funeral expenses. The eldest brother, J. age 30, has taken his two sisters & this boy T., to live with him but his work has been so bad for such a long time that he finds the burden more than he can carry, Tho' he would gladly undertake to bring the child up if he saw any possibility of so doing. It seems to me of great importance that T. should be got away as soon as may be, as all the family seem to me to be strong willed & difficult to manage as soon as childhood is passed; the sister age 15 refuses to go into a training Home for Servants & cannot be persuaded to take advice. It will be observed that one Aunt (maternal) is in good circumstances She absolutely refused to help her relatives two or three years ago when there was great need & the eldest brother assures us that he knows she would do nothing; he does not now even know her address. The boy seems well grown & intelligent & could no doubt be trained to be a good & useful man if he were admitted to a good Home or School whereas, without discipline or training I fear there would be every chance of his becoming one of that numerous class of youths who neither get work or want to get it. The case is known to the Rev. W. Abbott of S. Luke's. Old Street E.C. & to the Hon Sec of the Clerkenwell C.O.S. both of whom I believe will be ready to support this application.