Case 9733

The girl, H. for whom I am making this application is the daughter of G. formerly a waiter, at present ostler at the Green Dragon Inn Shrewsbury. Her mother, R. died March 4th 1898 of cancer in the Womens Hospital at Birmingham. The family were then living at Tenbury, Worcestershire in a district of which I was the visitor. After the mother's death I removed this girl, H., from her father's house, he being a utterly worthless, drinking man, & the home being a most improper one for a young girl to be left in & placed her in domestic service, the two younger children, A. & E., being taken charge of, & boarded out by the Guardians of the Parish of Tenbury, their father utterly refusing to make a decent home for, or to support them. He (the father) has since frequently been imprisoned for refusing to pay towards the maintenance of these younger children. H. (commonly called A.) remained for several years in domestic service, but I grieve to say, rather more than a year ago, she was found by her mistress to be dishonest, who was therefore unable to keep her. I then placed her at the Training Home at St. Katherine's Sisterhood Normand House Fulham, where I hoped she would remain for 2 years, & then a situation be found for her. Sad to say last October the poor girl slipped on getting out of the bath, falling on her knee. One knee became quickly so painful & inflamed that she was sent to Fulham Infirmary, where the knee was operated upon, and she remained 4 months. She is now in Normand House, but very lame, and quite unfit for any active work, so that she cannot remain there, as they will only keep girls who are able to be trained for domestic service or laundry work. I am making this application in the hope that it may be possible for you to receive H. as an inmate of St. Agnes Home for Crippled Girls, Wellesly Rd. Croydon, the girl herself is most anxious to learn dressmaking, so that in the future she might be able to maintain herself. I may say that no complaint has been made as to her conduct, during the time she has been in Normand House.

Signed
(Miss) L.
address temporary
c/o Mrs. Wild
Canning Road
Croydon.

I guarantee £5 a year towards the maintenance of H.
L.