PB, November, 2013: This article, concerning the provision of aid to the families of soldiers serving in the Crimea, is reproduced here as a primary source. It contains vivid testimony to the conditions wives and children were experiencing even at the start of the Crimean War, and the absence of state support. It was published in the Melbourne Argus on the 5th March 1855, but refers to a meeting held 6 months earlier, when British soldiers had only just arrived in the Crimea. Presumably it is a reprint of a article that had already appeared in a British newspaper.
The following is a continuation of the report which was unanimously passed at a General Committee Meeting, on the 3rd of October, 1854, the Right Hon. the Earl of Effingham in the chair.
The assistance and practical working of the seventy-eight Local Committees all over the kingdom is most invaluable. To the Clergy of the Church of England, the Staff-Officers of Pensioners, the Garrison Chaplains, the Local Magistrates, and other benevolent persons, the Committee desire most cordially to tender their hearty thanks. Had it not been for the indefatigable exertions of the Senior Garrison Chaplain of Dublin, the Rev. Charles Hort, upwards of 400 women and 800 children would now have been the inmates of the workhouse, for in Ireland no out-door relief is granted.
The Staff-Sergeants in the several districts have proved themselves worthy of the profession to which they are an honor; one fine fellow, on being offered remuneration for the great trouble he had taken in relieving the poor soldiers' wives in his district, exclaimed "God forbid that I should take any payment for helping my comrades' ?wives and families in their distress."
A perfectly organised system is now established by means of the Local Committees throughout the kingdom, quarterly statements are regularly transmitted, showing the number of women and children, and the expenditure; and regiments that began regimentally to distribute their own funds, have cordially handed over the balance of their funds to the Association, being satisfied with its working, and perfectly content to abide by its rules and regulations.
It is necessary to state, however, that the Association has not been permitted to relieve any but the widows and orphans of the Foot-Guards, the Officers commanding those Regiments having funds of their own for the relief of the wives and families of their men, and not willing to burden the Association.
Extract from the Report of the Limerick Local Committee:
Limerick, 28th August, 1854
"We have 17 women married with leave on our list, It appears that the women married with leave have the heavier families.
"It is incontestable that the major part of the women relieved by this committee would, ere this, have been in the workhouse, if they had not been aided.
"We can safely declare our conscientious belief, that the women on our list, 83 in number, have shown themselves deserving of the relief administered to them. We have never received a single complaint against one of them. They have universally manifested a desire to obtain work. Several of them have obtained situations as wet nurses, a great fact in proof of the decent, healthy, and well-conditioned state of these individuals. Many are working at the shirt business for a mere trifle, to earn which they must labour all day; and several are learning the trade of shirtmaking without wages, in hopes of being able to assist themselves. Upon a fair review of their conduct and their general appearance, we can safely say that the women relieved by our Committee are creditable to the army.
Even with the relief they receive, their position is far too trying a one to be anything hut a warning instead of an attraction to other females to enter into the same state, and we advisedly give it as our opinion that the operations of this Committee are not calculated to create the mischief which some imagine is likely to result from the charity and sympathy which have been evinced by the British public for this most unhappy class of women, suddenly deprived of the help of their husbands.
R.F. DOUGLAS, Colonel, Assist. Adjt. Gen., Chairman of Committee.
Extract from the Manchester and Salford Local Committee:
Salford Barracks, 29th August.
"I send you a statement of a few cases, which strike me as being unusually distressing. There are many nearly as bad - 140 in number. Very few of the women who have young children (and the children are nearly all too young to work) can earn anything worth noticing, 2s or 3s. a week at the most. Of course those who enjoyed the privileges of living in barracks, &c, as being married with leave, are in the worst circumstances, and they suffer severely. They lose the lodging and advantages of fuel, company's and officer's washing, say 5s. or 6s. a week, and the assistance of their husband's pay. Lodging here, of a very indifferent sort, costs them 2s. and 3s. a week, and they will be far worse lodged than when in barracks.
I send you the cases of four women all married with leave, one with six children, another five, another four, another three; there are many others married with leave, having two or three children, nearly as destitute. There is no employment that they are capable of, hampered as they are with young children, for whose care they must pay if they leave them at home and seek employment elsewhere.
A. F. BOND, Major and Staff Officer.
Extract from the Report of the Woolwich Local Committee:
"Woolwich Rectory, 4th September, 1854.
"The women were left in a great many cases, I am sure I may Bay almost all, without any means for themselves and their children. Many were on the eve of their confinement. Their only resource w ould have been to become paupers on the parish, and their only asylum would have been the workhouse. A generous provision on the part of a grateful country for the wives and families of those on whom they depended under God, for a successful issue of the war in which we have been compelled to engage has prevented this. But suppose this had not been the case, - how hardly would the maintenance of so many have pressed upon the poor-rate payers! - and in many instances how unfairly!
Take Woolwich, for instance, and the case would be similar with respect to all garrison towns. We have upwards of 200 women, besides their children, to be maintained somehow. I think it quite possible that the burden, would have been felt so heavily, that a memorial might have been sent to the Government. But however this might he, the expense would have been unfairly thrown upon- parishes such as our own; but this i sa trifling matter when compared with the pauperisation of respectable wives of soldiers of our army.
HENRY BROWN, Rector of Woolwich.
Extract from the Report of the Dublin Local Committee:
September 4th, 1854.
"I find that since the 1st July to 21st inst. I hove made about 3,100 payments (in small sums, varying from 1s. to £1 5s.) to about 400 women, soldiers' wives, We have granted several women free passages to their families and their relatives, released clothes from pawn offices for women going into situations, set up numbers in a small way of business, defraying the funeral expenses of a few children, and in numberless other ways have been the means of conferring substantial benefits upon these poor people, &c.
Had it not been for the small weekly payments, the majority would have been in the poor house. Many women, although they only received 3s. 0d. a week, were thus kept going, and encouraged to work for themselves and children, &c.
CHARLES HORT, Senior Garrison Chaplain and Honorary Secretary to Committee.
Extract from the report of another Local Committee:
'We hardly relieved any that were not married with leave and on the strength. By the timely aid rendered by your Society much distress was of course prevented, as, as soon as they were loft, your excellent Society took them by the hand. But timely as this aid was' offered, it was not before, in many cases, the poor creatures had parted with everything, even in cases to their wedding-rings. What would have been the condition of these poor creatures if no such society as yours had existed? - many of them far too high spirited to have become the inmates of a workhouse, would have been plunged into a state of misery too fearful to contemplate.
But even as it is, much misery is to be found. A, poor delicate creature with two children, married with leave, to whom your society grant a weekly allowance, has been compelled to part with her furniture. So distressing is this woman's case and so respectable a character does she appear to be, that some of the other women have helped her out of their own small pittance, &c.
Every day I feel more thankful for the good your Society is doing; upwards of 30 are receiving help from you at this place. I only wish those who have contributed large sums to your Society could witness the gratitude of these poor women for the help they receive; they would indeed feel more than repaid for all they have done."
Mr. Ray, formerly the active and intelligent inspecting officer of this association, writes from Varna to the following effect:
Varna, August 4th, 1854.
"Sir, I beg to draw your attention to the condition of the poor women here. Many of them have died, and others are dying, others who are in a state of convalescence are not able to proceed further with their Regiments, and the men are expected to leave this in about fourteen days; and these poor creatures, emaciated and dried with the sun, will be left in a foreign land without any protection or homeo whatever.
What I thought of was, to provide a house and food for such .as have none; most of them have blankets, but to those who have not, I would propose lending them some, and to encourage those who are able to get about to wait on the sick, cook, and wash.
If your Committee is pleased to approve of this plan, I shall be most happy to superintend the whole matter, and I am quite sure it would relieve many a poor man of intense anxiety. The cold weather will be soon setting in, then what will these poor women do? If the ladies in England would send us a little flannel, a few blankets, and loft off rags ments [?], they would be rendering us a great service, &c.
The great work that is going on for the wives and families of the soldiers by means of the association, in which you take so prominent and energetic a part, causes abundant joy to the husbands and fathers here; and when I remind them of what is doing, they seem overjoyed, and many thanks are expressed both to yourself, and the committee, and benevolent friends, for the sympathy shown them.
Numerous are the deaths from cholera and fevers, and doubtless, many who are cared for by your Association are really widows, but news of the fact may not have reached them. They have not yet entered the field, but every day the order for embarkation for the Crimea is expected, where doubtless many will fall, and these poor fellows have their eyes upon your Association to protect their wives and children.
I am happy to say I have been well received by the men generally; to point them to the 'Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world' is my ostensible work, and to tell them of the great work going on in England for the good of those they have left behind is in perfect keeping, and is indeed good news.
The poor women who have followed their husbands to this place are in a most pitiable condition, and when the expedition Bails for the Crimea they will be left here. Would that we had an Association here for these poor objects.
Varna is in perfect confusion; how could it be otherwise with such a congregation of nations, fierce, wild, desperate-looking fellows, armed to the teeth, anxiously waiting for the signal to summon them to the fight. May you long be spared in your glorious work, of all works the most enviable, to care for the poor, &c."
Immediately on the receipt of those letters the Committee met, and decided that a donation of blankets, shawls, &c should immediately be sent to Varna, and the sum of £100 should be granted for the use of these women.
On the 1st September goods to the amount of £34 were sent by steam to Constantinople addressed to the care of the Consul-General, who was requested to use his discretion in forwarding them to Varna. A bill of exchange for £100 was also sent to the same authority, with instructions and authority to Mr. Ray to act as the almoner of the Association.
"Camp near Varna, August 21th, 1854.
"Dearest, - Yours dated August 3rd came to hand on the 10th. I have received all your letters except one. You did tell me, my dear, that seven shillings a week was what you received from the Association, and although that is a mere trifle in a place like London, yet we ought to be very thankful for it.
You say you deeply regret you did not go with me; indeed, my dear wife, much as I wish to be with you, I think it one of the most providential things ever happened for you to be where you are, ¡nstead of being here; badly off as you are now, you would be utterly miserable here.
We have lost already two married men of cholera. I sleep in the staff tent ever since I got better of the cholera.
Everything is enormously high here; a mouthful of white bread and cheese for supper costs 5d. One thing lately we can always get a pint of ale for 2d. or porter 1 1/2d; in fact, it is the only thing we relish; for the bread is very bad, and we get nothing but the nasty beef, which we cannot eat, but boil down and make soup of.
I get, as I said before, 1s. 10d. [?] a day pay. Out of this 4 3/4d. is stopped for rations and 2d. a day for mess money; so that by the time I pay for something fit to eat there is not much left; and I shall, please God, send you all I can, &c.
The women here have no way of making money by washing, the water is too far off, &c .
I am sorry to say I have been very ill, and as it is far the best for me to let you know the whole truth, I must inform you that I have had the cholera; I was very bad while it lasted, but, thank the God of all goodness for his great mercy. He has restored me. The doctors have been very kind to me; everything I could wish for was got for mc; almost all the officers and the colonel came to me and inquired about me constantly. Poor L. M., J. M., and E., and Mrs. I [?] have all died sinco my last; also J. R. and S.F.
Indeed, my dearest wife, I rely in perfect confidence in my Redeemer, and feel myself quite unworthy of His mercy; and during the worst of my illness I felt humbled before Him in whom alone my salvation is sure.
"Your ever loving husband, E. R."
The wife of the writer of this letter (a most excellent non-commissioned officer) was left nearly destitute with five young children. She bears a most irreproachable character, and is most anxious to obtain her own livelihood; but ,what can she do with five young children? Her two eldest daughters are entirely provided for by the Association, and she receives a weekly allowance of seven shillings.
The Committee perceive with pleasure that the authorities are gradually sending them home from the East. Three arrivals of soldiers' families have already been brought before the Committee, for no sooner do they land than they apply to the Association, and it is needless to say how readily their application is responded to.
The first efforts of the Committee were for the immediate relief of the wives of soldiers ordered on actlve service, who, in consequence of their having families, were left behind utterly destitute of all means of existence, save the temporary out-door parish relief. Since that time the sword and the pestilence have too fatally done their sad work, and many of these poor people have become more helplessly destitute by the death of their husbands.
The committee, however, encouraged by the magnificent contributions received from all parts of the world, have found themselves in a position to make the following scale of donations for widows, which is the same that was adopted by the administrators of the Waterloo Fund, in 1815:
Unanimously resolved, "That relief in the shape of a donation not exceeding the undermentioned sums, being the same as agreed to by the Waterloo Committee on the 28th of June, 1815, be adopted as a scale for the widows of non-commissioned officers and soldiers now serving against Russia.
"A pension may be granted, in the place of the whole or part of such donation, should it appear expedient to the committee."
Scale of donation for widows with children dependent for support:-
Rank. Without children / One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six / Seven / Eight
Serjeant-Major - £90 100 115 125 135 150 100 175 200
Serjeant - £60 90 100 105 120 130 140 100
Corporal - £45 60 70 75 80 90 100 110 120
Drummer - £35 45 50 55 6O 70 75 80 100
Private - £30 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 80
Of widows the Association has already 64 on their hooks, and of orphans 108.
The following letter shows that for the widows of those brave men who perished with their colonel in the Europa transport, ample provision was made, and that the measures adopted for their relief have fully satisfied the officer commanding the depot of the Ennisklllens:
"Canterbury Barracks, July l3th, 1854. -
"Sir, -I have the honor to acknowledge, with many thanks, the receipt of your memorandum, detailing the amount of the donations granted by the Association of which you are the Honorary Secretary, to the widows and orphans of the five non'-commissioned officers and men of the Enniskillen dragoons who were lost in the Europa transport.
"The ready and liberal aid thus sent to their relief will, I trust, be effectual to alleviate in some degree their distress; and it marks, too, in a way for which I am most grateful, how deeply the committee of your admirable Association appreciate the bravery and noble conduct of those who stood by their colonel to the last.
"Sure I am, from private accounts which I have received, that had all on board done their duty as manfully as those who perished, there would not have been a life lost in the Europa.
"I have not failed to communicate to the officer commanding the regiment in Turkey the liberality with which the Association have met my application for assistance to the surviving families by a grant of £415 [?].
"I am glad, too, to express my sense of the admirable arrangements of the society, by which the distribution of this sum has been entrusted to the persone best able to judge of the most judicious means of administering, in each individual case, to the permanent relief of the sufferers.
I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant,
F. W. Fitz-Wygram, Capt Commanding Depot, Enniskillen Dragoons.
For the five widows and children of the 6th Enniskillens, annuities have been purchased, large sums having been subscribed for them in addition to the grant from this Association: the amount will render them independent for their lives.
For the other widows, donations, varying from £5 to £10, have been granted immediately on the receipt of official notification of their husbands' death. Most of them were already on the books of the Association, and had been receiving relief for some time: it is proposed to grant them an annual pension as long as they remain widows, and the resources of the Association continue available.
Effectually to prevent the recurrence of such dstressing scenes as those which gave rise to the formation of this Association, the committee have had in consideration a plan which it is hoped might tend materially to raise the condition of the soldier's wife, and secure a provision for the soldier's widow.
As there is no probability, under existing circumstances, of so raising the pay of the soldier as to enable him, when married, to apportion a sufficient share of it to his family while he is on active service, the committee are of opinion that a National Fund should be established, of which the invested capital of this Association shall be the foundation, and to which the public and the soldier shall be invited to subscribe annually.
This fund to provide pensions for widows and orphans, as well as temporary assistance to wife and family, who, having become subscribers, may be ordered on active service.
The exact subscription which the soldier would be called upon to pay must depend on the amount of public support the National Fund may receive: it must always be a very small sum from the soldier; but the committee are convinced that the country will approve of this proposed attempt to encourage habits of obedience and prudent foresight amongst the married soldiers of the British army.
By order of the committee, HENRY LITTLETON POWYS, Major 40th Royal Rifles [?], Hon. Sec. September 7th, 1854.
The Central Association in Aid of the Wives and Families, Widows and Orphans of Soldiers ordered to the East
[BALANCE SHEET FOLLOWS.]
Thus it will be seen that the sum of £9172 has already been spent in actual relief for widows as well as wives within the space of six months; and that at the trifling outlay of little more than 3 per cent., the sum of £80,209 17s. 7d has been raised.
Annual subscriptions are solicited towards the formation of a National Fund for widows and orphans.
H. L. POWYS, Major 60th Rifles, Honorary Secretary.
[Source: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4805178#pstart186189 (accessed 29.11.2013).]