Sometimes it's hard to be a woman

Looking back at our long history it seems strange to think of a time when the charity would only provide for boys. However for the first eight years of its existence, the Refuge did not take in girls. It wasn’t until 1878, with the opening of a detached house on Broughton Lane, that girls were provided for, for the first time. As more and more boys applied to the Refuge, those that investigated their circumstances were frequently coming across girls that needed aid.

Rosen Hallas, George Street

The various girls’ homes opened by the Refuge had the same aims as those that provided for boys. They were designed to give food, shelter, a Christian home and suitable training to its inhabitants. As we’ve seen before for the boys this could be as an apprentice in the Central Refuge’s five workshops or within its various brigades. For the girls however, training revolved around domestic duties; how to keep a house in order, care for young children and embroider.

Girls in the laundry c. 1883

Laundries were often attached to the homes in order to cater for the large amounts of washing that had to be done for the buildings’ inhabitants. Even the smaller buildings at this time accommodated 20 children. Girls would be taught how to do the laundry, providing a service for the charity as well as providing training.  

Gathering of old girls at Rosen Hallas

The girls went on to be domestic servants in various homes in the area. Some were also emigrated abroad to Canada to help out in the farmhouses. This was not always approved of however (taken from Making Rough Places Plain, William Edmondson):

“Dear Sir, My chief reason for discontinuing my subscription is that considering the extreme difficulty of obtaining domestic servants it is unwise to support Societies which export girls."

17th June 1909

To which the following response was given:

"Dear Sir,
The majority of girls passing out of our homes go into domestic service at home, but there are a certain number who have been rescued from, not only poor, but dangerous surroundings, and who have relations or friends whose influence would be calculated to draw the girls again into moral danger. It is this class we emigrate."

19th June 1909

Wherever the girls ended up, they arrived equipped with the skills to enable them to support themselves.