Charity Institutions: Country Trends


Figure 1.--This is a scene from Banstead Cottage Homes which in Surrey, England. These cottage homes were started to take children from the workhouse and off the streets, young offenders, etc and get them into a school and learning the skills of life. The homes were like small villages and self contained. Here are the boys in the gym during 1902. I do not know if other countries adopted a comparable approach.

HBC has only limited information on charity institutions around the world. We have managed to collect information on England and the United States. Information on other countries has been more limited to obtain. Charity institutions, however, were not confoned to Englnd and the United States. HBC believes that the available information is primarily a function of greater access to English-language sources. This is, however, not the only factor. Another important indicator to consider is national wealth. The richer countties were more capable of addressing the problems of poverty ands indigent childred. We have found some information on charity information on other countris. Very limited information is currently available on the clothes worn at orphanages in diifferent countries:

Belgium

Huge numbers of orphans were created by the devestaion of World War I (1914-18). The War began with the German invasion of Belgium. Historians argue about who began the War. French Prime Minister Clemanceau said after the War, "I will tell you what will not be said, that Belgium invaded Germany." King Albert of Belgium replied when the Kaiser informed him of the German plans, "Belgium is a country, not a road. The War in the West was largely fought in Belgium. The front lines and trenches of the Allies and Germans were largely located in Belgium although some extended into northern France. Belgium was devestated by the War creating thousands of orphaned and abandoned children.

England

The besrt known Englisg charity institutins are work houses and orphanafes. The literature on these institutins is legion. Of course most of our concept of English orphanges comes to us from the bleak descriptions Charles Dickens provides in Oliver Twist. As bad as conditions were in 19th century English institutions, it should be remembered that these were some of the first attempts to deal with the problems of poverty. The Victorians viewd these efforts as Christian charity. Other strongly held Victorian values resulted in the creation of institutions that were in fact as bleak as Dickens described. Many Victorians saw poverty as a lack of effort and a result of a flawed character. Others felt that it was more charitable not to intervene and that Government action would simply foster a debter class that would create even more indigents. Another less well known charity institution was the cottage home.

France

We know very little about French orphanages at this time. It is unclear to HBC how clothes worn by orphans reflected clothes worn by other children. It is likely that French orphans probably was similar to that of families with moderate means. In France this meant that uniforms were common. Many orphanages appeared to have used smocks, in some cases similar to those worn by French school boys. Smocks seemed to have been used by many schools as they wefre a useful garment to protect clothes and reduce laundry.

Germany

HBC has not yet been able to develop information on German charity institutions.

Italy

HBC has not yet been able to develop information on Italian charity institutions.

Ireland

HBC has no information on Irish orphanges, but some infornmation exists on work houses in Ireland during the 1840s. I am not sure of this, but I believe that there were few if any actual orphanages until later in the century. Indigent children were cared for by familily or neighbors until the 1840s when the Potato Famine made this impossible. The lucky children were admitted to the work house where many died from disease. The unlucky children starved by the roadside. At first the British Government provided some relief. Then in 1847/8, Parliament passed a law placing the financial responsibility of relief on local Irish land owners. They simply could not fund disaster relief on the scale needed. In an effort to stave off bankruptsy, land owners (often abasentee English owners) evicted their poorest tenants. Thousands starved, in many cases by the side of the road.

Poland

HBC has no information on Polish orphanages yet, but a HBC contributor has provided some information on a Polish orphanage in the Soviet Union.

United States

Clothes worn by orphans have generally reflected clothes worn by children from families with moderate means. In America this meant that actual uniforms were unusual. Often children brought clothes with them or clothes were supplied by relatives. One visitor who was in an Indiana orphanage during the 1920s tells me that the lady running the orphanage woukd buy clothes on sale in local stores. The children could select clothes from a large box. At other orphanages there may have been more similarity as clothes were often bought in large lots by the various state homes. Little boys at the turn of the century would often wear white shirts, large bows, and kneepants with long stockings. Infants and toddlers were less commonly found in the orphanages as they were easier to place for adoption. Another charity institution of importance is the settlement house.






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Created: 1:43 AM 5/27/2007
Last update: 1:44 AM 5/27/2007