Orphanage in 1891?

[LangleyValeSue]

Bear with me please....it's a bit long winded ;)

I am helping a friend with his family tree and yesterday I found the death of his G Grandmother (Anne Maria Chambers) in 1887. I then found the death of his G Grandfather (William Titford Chambers) in 1890.
In 1881 the family were living in Shoreditch with two daughters, Elizabeth, (b 1877 Hoxton) and Florence (b. 1880, Shoreditch). My friend's grandmother, Grace, was b. 1885, London City.

In 1891, Florence, aged 11, is listed as living at Guards Industrial Home in Westminster, London. Grace, aged 6, and probably another sister Rose, aged 4. are living at Primrose Institute, Gt Clacton, Harwich, Essex. I haven't found Elizabeth yet, although she definately was still alive, as my friend remembers her in the 1950s.

In 1901, Rose, aged 13, was living at Bluebell Orphanage, Gt Clacton. Probably the same place as in 1891?
No sign of Grace, Florence or Elizabeth yet though.

Now my questions..............

Why would the orphaned daughter of a printers messenger from Shoreditch be living in the Guards Industrial Home in Westminster? There were military personnel living there, but surely the not all young residents were their servants. I haven't found a military family connection yet.

Why would the two younger daughters be taken to an orphanage in Gt Clacton, miles and miles from their Shoreditch home? The family were Londoners born and bred for generations, apart from their mother who was born in New York, USA to a London born mother who returned to live in Finsbury after she was widowed.

Any thoughts please?

[Olde Crone Holden]

It was quite common for the respectable working classes to pay a small sum each week to the Widows and Orphans Fund, against the day when the breadwinner might die.

Many of these schemes were initiated by the employer, so you might not have a choice of orphanage and the children would be sent wherever there was a place. Older children would be sent to an Industrial School so that they could learn a useful trade.

There were literally thousands of these schemes all over the country. My dad paid into the Bluecoats School while we were kids, but there were many many more schemes.

I would imagine that a trade like printing would be almost certain to have such a scheme in place.

OC

[Christine in Herts]

I've tried the Workhouse site and Google (which only comes up with this thread!).

I can't think what to suggest! - No doubt it will be really obvious when the solution presents itself! :(

Christine

[Christine in Herts]

Having taken so long to post that OC has nipped in ahead of me - of course OC has come up with a very reasonable suggestion!

Christine

[Kim]

My great grandfather had to be voted "into" an orphanage, his mother was still alive but unable to look after 4 small children.So, a local retired army captain and a Doctor she rented rooms to recommended and canvassed the children be voted in to a particular orphanage in Slough , but the rest of the family lived in Croydon. So sometimes there was no choice.

His number of votes were counted and his name and the number of votes cast for him were published in the Times Newspaper! ( Nothing like child protection laws those days!)

[Olde Crone Holden]

I meant to say...an orphan was a child whose FATHER had died, not necessarily both parents.

Women were considered incapable of raising children without a man around (particularly boys) so they were sent off to orphanages and other institutions.

OC

[Christine in Herts]

I meant to say...an orphan was a child whose FATHER had died, not necessarily both parents.

Women were considered incapable of raising children without a man around (particularly boys) so they were sent off to orphanages and other institutions.

OC

Of course!

When my errant grandfather left the household, my toddler-or-so uncle was put into an orphanage and my father (as a babe) sent to his (maternal, presumably) grandparents. We had thought in terms of this freeing my grandmother to make ends meet - but OC's explanation seems much more likely.

Christine

[LangleyValeSue]

Thank you OC, Christine and Kim.

I didn't think of that. The printing trade probably did have some sort of plan for orphaned children. I haven't found anything online about the orphanage in Clacton or the Guards industrial school. I did read (I think it was on the Workhouses site) that industrial schools were " primarily for vagrant, destitute or disorderly children who were considered in danger of becoming criminals or who were in contact with prostitutes".

Not sure where to go next. I haven't found anything nearly as interesting in my tree! My GGGG grandmother was widowed with two small boys in 1803 (GGGG grandfather was a schoolmaster), but they all went to live with her father. None of mine or OH's in orphanages, they all seemed to go to live with various family members when their parents died.

My friend's G grandparents were both only children, so I suppose there were no family members to take the children in.

Thankyou all again