A Staff Reunion of 1925

 As I was searching the 1925 edition of the Charity's magazine, the Children's Haven, for something completely unrelated I came across an article about a staff reunion held at Bethesda to celebrate the golden wedding of an employee, a Mr Crick. As well as detailing the gifts received by Mr and Mrs Crick on their anniversary (two Chesterfield chairs), the article provides a list of past and present staff members in attendance. Many of these staff  had worked for the Charity for decades which led me to see if I could find out anymore about some of those individuals named.

The reason for the staff reunion of December 1925 was the occasion of Mr and Mrs Crick's golden wedding anniversary where Mr Crick declared if he had his time again he would choose, 'the same girl for a wife'. The image below from The Children's Haven edition of 1927 allows us to put a face to the names. Having been in charge of the boot making and boot repair departments since around 1901 where he taught boys the same trade, Mr Crick retired aged 75. The magazine entry of 1927 records his death in April of that year with Mrs Crick following shortly after in June.

Harriet Smethurst is a familiar name as she was Matron of Rosen Hallas home for girls from 1886 where girls were taught domestic duties before obtaining work in the area or being emigrated to Canada. Alongside caring for the girls, within her 37 years Miss Smethurst accompanied girls emigrating to Canada on 20 occasions. On retirement to a cottage in Cheetham Hill she lived with and cared for Mrs Shaw, the widow of the Charity's founder until her death aged 86 in 1923. Even after her retirement Miss Smethurst is still noted as attending events such as reunions of Rosen Hallas girls. She died aged 87 in August 1931. The Children's Haven edition of that year recorded how much she deserved the title of 'mother' as she was called by the girls and noted her insight and practical experience stating:

 'Her influence on the varying lives and characters of hundreds of girls successively in her care for training and upbringing was great...'

Mr Buckley was a Workshop Master who worked for the Charity for over 40 years from its early days in around 1873. Workshops in tailoring, firewood, shoe making, printing and joinery were all located in the Central Refuge near Strangeways where the boys could learn a trade. Although it's not clear which workshop Mr Buckley worked in the fact he left in 1915 may have been influenced by apprentices of these workshops leaving to enlist during the First World War meaning all workshops except shoe making were closed.

Mr W. J Horne worked alongside his wife as Master and Matron of the Working Lads Institute from the early 1890s. Their role was to provide for the 'comfort and well being' of around 40 to 50 residents aged around 18-21 who had passed through the Central Refuge and had regular work but no lodgings. Mrs Horne was described in the 1914 edition of the Children's Haven as a women of;

'...strong intuitions linked with a sweet, gentle, charitable disposition.'

Mrs Horne died in December 1913 after a long illness and the above image appeared in the Children's Haven shortly after. Mr Horne retired in 1923 and after his death in 1927 a memorial service was held at Belmont attended by 'old boy's' of the Institute.

The above is just a snapshot of a tiny minority of staff members in the Charity's long history but between them these individuals must have impacted the lives of hundreds of children and young people during their long service.