E's father died of smallpox in 1894 and her mother later married again but deserted. It is not clear whether she left her husband or he left her. At the time of the application to the Waifs and Strays' Society E. was living with her mother in Cannock Workhouse. The Guardians had no facilities for domestic training in the Workhouse and felt that in order for E. to learn how to support herself she should go to one of the Society's Homes. They specified St Margaret's Home, Penkridge if possible as it was fairly local. E's mother was described as a "helpless creature" unable to do much for her children. E. was admitted to St Margaret's Home, Penkridge on 19 December 1901. The majority of the material in the file concerns the girl's employment. She was placed in service several times but either lost her places because she was unsatisfactory or left of her own accord. The Penkridge Home felt that they could not have her returning to them so frequently as it was having an unsettling effect on the other girls, so on 14 June 1909 she was admitted to the Clapham Home for Girls out of Situation. She continued as before once she was in London, she went out to service with several different employers but never stayed long. In October 1912 she returned to the Clapham Home "sadly out of health". In December 1912 after a spell in a convalescent home she returned to her previous employer but she left the position on 14 April 1913 because she was "unsatisfactory" and on 15 April 1913 she returned to her mother in Staffordshire.
