|
This home was founded by Father Nugent and was intended for unmarried mothers and babies.
Its foundation was motivated by the many
cases of infanticide that were prevalent in late Victorian Society (cf Acts
of 1872 and 1897 designed to prevent infanticide amongst young mothers and
baby farmers).
The Home was established on the Dingle
Estates in West Dingle
and opened on 16th Feb 1897. It was rented at £120 per
year from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board who had just acquired it from
its previous owners, the prominent Liverpool family, the Croppers.
The Home was to be run by
the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary, of Chigwell, Essex. It was
set in 12 acres of ground overlooking the River Mersey. The rules were that
only mothers and babies were to be admitted; the mother was to remain for 12
months to nurse and work for her baby; that only first cases be accepted;
the father was as far as possible to be forced to contribute to the support
of his child. The Home was open to all irrespective of creed but non-Catholics would be notified to their own religious authorities. In its first
year 33 mothers and babies had found shelter.
One of the earliest helpers
was Sister Ethelbert who spent the greater part of her life at the House of
Providence until her death in 1946.
In the 1911 Kelly, West Dingle is shown as the " House of Providence Home for Destitute
Women and Children (Sister Ethelbert superioress)".
The 1901 census for the House runs to four pages, there are
seven 'Sisters' and some support staff (gardener, domestic, kitchen
domestic and nursery Maid). The rest of the entry consists of single
girls, almost all in their 20s, and babies and children
ranging from 2 months old up to 4 years.
The chief form of financial support for the home was the laundry which was
enlarged in 1902. But this was insufficient to finance the home. So Father
Nugent also founded " Rescue Notes" an irregular publication about the work
of the 'House of Providence'. This raised £1,000 in its best year and averaged
£500-600 per year. Father Nugent died in 1905 and the magazine carried
on for only a few more years before ceasing in 1907.
In 1903, Father Nugent
also set up, at West Dingle, a " House of Good Counsel". This was so that
pregnant unmarried mothers could have a safe place to live before their
confinement. This latter home closed after Father Nugent's death.
In time the House of Providence moved to a large house, Kelton, on Woodlands
Road, Aigburth. The site is still owned by the Nugent Care Society, founded to
carry on the work of Father Nugent. Kelton is now run as a training centre.
|
1901 census for the Home is
RG13 / 3432 130 &
131 )
|
House of Providence -
(at West Dingle)