Thomas John Barnardo
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Thomas John Barnardo (4 July 1845 – 19 September 1905) was an Irish philanthropist and founder and director of homes for poor children, born in Dublin. From the foundation of the first Barnardo's home in 1870 to the date of Barnardo’s death, nearly 60,000 children had been rescued, trained and placed out in life. Barnardo's.
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[edit] Early life
His father who was of Sephardic Jewish origin, and his mother being an English woman and member of the Plymouth Brethren (to which he converted on 26 May 1862) Barnado was an Evangelical Christian.[1] He left Dublin in 1866 with the intention of qualifying for medical missionary and work in China with the newly formed China Inland Mission. He studied medicine at the London Hospital while living with Hudson Taylor's family, and later at Edinburgh. He also met Jim Jarvis at this time, a homeless child of around 8 years of age who introduced him to other children.
[edit] Dr Barnardo's Home
His medical work in the East End of London during the epidemic of cholera in 1866 first drew his attention to the great numbers of homeless and destitute children in the cities of England. Encouraged by the support of the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury and the first Earl Cairns, he gave up his early ambition of foreign missionary labour, and began what was to prove his life’s work. The first of the "Dr Barnardo’s Homes" was opened in 1870 at 18 Stepney Causeway, London. From that time the work steadily increased until, at the time of his death, in 1905, there were established 112 district "Homes," besides mission branches, throughout the United Kingdom.
The object for which these institutions were started was to search for and to receive waifs and strays, to feed, clothe and educate. The system under which the institution was carried on is broadly as follows: the infants and younger girls and boys are chiefly "boarded out" in rural districts; girls above fourteen years of age are sent to the industrial training homes, to be taught useful domestic occupations; boys above seventeen years of age are first tested in labour homes and then placed in employment at home, sent to sea or emigrated; boys of between thirteen and seventeen years of age are trained for the various trades for which they may be mentally or physically fitted. Besides the various branches necessary for the foregoing work, there were also, among others the following institutions:a rescue home for girls in serious danger, a convalescent seaside home, and a hospital for the terribly sick.
Barnardo and his wife, Syrie, were given a home in Barkingside, Essex, as a wedding gift, where he created a 60-acre village with the vision of creating a way of life for destitute children that resembled village life.[2] In 1876 on the 9th July, The Girls Village Home was officially opened with 12 cottages by the then Lord Cairns, In the same year a modern steam laundry was opened. Over the years the number of cottages grew to a total of 66 in 1906 housing some 1,300 girls which was spread over the three Village greens covering some 60 acres (240,000 m2) which was next to Mossford Lodge at Barkingside, Ilford, Essex that had been opened in 1873; by 1894 a multi-denominational Children's Church was opened with a dedication service. The Girls Village Home had become a real "garden city".
In 1899 the various institutions and organizations were legally incorporated under the title of "The National Association for the reclamation of Destitute Waif Children", but the institution has always been familiarly known as "Dr Barnardo’s Homes." Barnardo laid great stress on the religious teaching of the children under his care. Each child was brought up under the influence and teaching of the Protestant Faith. It was a condition of admission that Roman Catholic children were to be educated as Protestants by Barnardo.[3] Children of Jewish parentage were handed over to the care of the Jewish Board of Guardians in London.
In 1901, through the generosity of Mr E. H. Watts, a naval school was opened in 1903 at North Elmham, near Norwich, to which boys were drafted from the branch homes to be trained for the Navy and the Mercantile Marine. Watts's Naval Training School closed in 1989.
[edit] Death
Barnardo died of angina pectoris in London on 19 September 1905.[4] Dr Thomas John Barnardo is buried in front of Cairns House, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex. Watchers at the funeral stood crying at the loss. The village is now the head office of the children charity, Barnardo's.[2]
A national memorial was instituted to form a fund of £250,000 to relieve the various institutions of all financial liability and to place the entire work on a permanent basis. William Baker, formerly the chairman of the council, was selected to succeed the founder of the homes as Honorary Director. Barnardo was the author of many books dealing with the charitable work to which he devoted his life.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Dr Thomas John Barnardo: homes, schools and other works
- ^ a b Wrightman, Sara (June 2008). "The birthplace of Barnado's". Essex Life (Archant): p. 88-89. http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=&refresh=3Ex0Hy14j5C1&EID=52357006-6cf2-46b7-874f-a85febe6a2c6&skip=true. Retrieved 2009-02-03. (Registration required.)
- ^ The Mammoth Book of Jack The Ripper by Maxim Jakubowski and Nathan Braund (ISBN 978-1-84529-712-1), pages 295-296
- ^ Dr Barnardo Public Funeral at www.goldonian.org
"Barnardo, Thomas John". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
