Orphanage Labours
Andrew Reed
Mr. Reed’s first effort on behalf of the orphan was made in youth, when he undertook to instruct the little nursemaid in his mother’s family. Again, about the time of his ordination, he and his sister adopted partially a poor motherless family at Wapping, at first supporting them entirely out of their own resources, and then placing them out in suitable homes. In this last effort really lay the germ of the London Orphan Asylum. Further, Mr. Reed’s mother had been an orphan, so that by her means he had been imbued with tender sympathy for all who were similarly placed; and, during his boyhood, he had seen that noble-hearted mother carry her self-denying precepts into practice, by affording a home to more than one desolate orphan child.
In 1812, Mr. Reed heard of a person residing at the east end of London, who was in the habit of giving home, food, and employment to orphan children in his spinning factory. He sought out this individual, intending to place the young orphans then on their hands under this person’s care; but to his great surprise and indignation he found that a mean advantage was taken of the children, so that they were bound apprentices for a long term of years to a severe employment, receiving only in return board and lodging. Infants but five years old were kept at the spinning wheel from eleven to thirteen hours a day, and on attaining the age of twelve were bound for seven years to work at a shoe-factory, which this flourishing “philanthropist had established on Tower Hill, receiving a very small weekly allowance in return for their services. This person remarked to Mr. Reed that “his was a kind of charity which might be made to answer well if more capital could be brought into the concern To this Mr. Reed could only reply that such a speculation was not charity. He was disgusted at the idea of thus making capital out of poor children’s labour and loneliness, and went away resolved to found an asylum which should be truly worthy of the name.
On June 24th, 181 3, Mr. Reed met a few friends at his house, and explained his new plan. Some of them would have preferred to make the orphan institution self-supporting; but Mr. Reed had seen quite enough of the proceedings in the Wapping spinning-rooms and the Tower Hill shoe-factory, to determine that the new orphanage should not be formed upon this model. A second meeting was held, at which only two persons besides himself attended; but it was not in his nature to be daunted by difficulty. These three gentlemen adopted an address to be submitted to the public, agreed to the name of the asylum, and drew up a code of rules for a its guidance. It was to be called “The East London Orphan Asylum and Working School,” the objects, as stated in the prospectus, being “to relieve destitute and orphan children, to afford them clothing and maintenance, to fix habits of industry and frugality, to inculcate the principles of religion and virtue, and to place them out in situations where their morals should not be endangered, and where a prospect of honest livelihood should be- secured.” With this statement of their aims and ends they appealed to the public
Even then the response was small. At the public meeting only about seventy persons were present, but £(A were subscribed, a treasurer and committee elected, and a beginning fairly made. In order to counteract the despondency which crept over him, while waiting at this meeting, Mr. Reed took out his pocket-book, sketched a cross, and encircled it with the motto “Nil Desperandumr Then, he wrote under these words “What I despond with the Cross before you?”
In spite of difficulties arising from one cause and another, a house was taken for the first home of the orphans. Three children were elected at once, and a matron appointed, while Mr. Reed stripped his home of everything but the barest necessaries to help in furnishing the orphanage. More children were admitted, and sermons preached on behalf of the scheme. Finally, a .public dinner was held, at which the Duke of Kent, the father of Queen Victoria, most kindly presided.
The Duke was delighted with what he saw and heard, and next day sent a letter from Kensington Palace, suggesting measures for the improvement and support of the charity, and giving permission to use his name as patron.
As soon as this was made known, some of the leading bankers and gentlemen of the City offered their support The King gave his name to the enterprise; and subscriptions flowed in so freely in response to Mr. Reed’s personal canvassing, that he resolved to build as soon as ;£” 10,000 should be obtained. But both the King and the Duke died before the London Orphan Asylum possessed premises of its own.
The foundation-stone was laid by the Duke of York on a site at Clapton; and in 1825 the building was opened by the Duke of Cambridge. Mr. Reed’s own plan for the building was adopted by the architect, and ultimately cost about ;C2S,ooo. At the laying of the foundation-stone an accident occurred by which the platform gave way, and one man was killed. It turned out that this was caused by the carelessness of the poor man who perished. Presence of mind and forethought, however, averted a panic, and the ceremony proceeded. Prince Leopold presided at the dinner held at the London Tavern, and urged the friends present to support the institu-ICX5 The World’s Workers.
tion in such touching and manly words, that the largest subscription ever known in the City for such an object was obtained that evening. The asylum was built to hold 300 orphans, and afterwards enlarged to accommodate 400, while thirty were elected to the benefits of the home each year. As the elder children passed out, they were placed in situations by which they could obtain a respectable livelihood.
It was found, however, that the London Orphan Asylum could not take very young children; and, as soon as he had seen this work successfully carried out, he determined to start one which should provide for little orphans under seven years of age. Mr. Reed’s sister, while visiting one day, found a family of orphans entirely destitute, and on urging their piteous case at the office of the London Orphan Asylum, was told, “they are all under age.” There were four little ones under seven, and in her trouble Miss Reed applied to her noble-hearted brother. He bravely decided that “the greater the necessity the greater the charity; we must have a home for infants.” He at first thought of a wing in addition to the new asylum, to be called a “nursery,” but the counsels of the managers overruled this idea.
Then he called a meeting of like-minded friends at his own house. Only two came, but they settled the plan of operations and drew up a scheme, which was made public at a meeting held at the London
Tavern, in July, 1827. So great was the interest taken in the scheme by the people, that “the avenues to the room were crowded with poor women bearing in their arms infant children, intended candidates for admission.” So fully did this institution commend itself to the public mind, that royalty supported it both by word and deed. The Dukes of Gloucester and Clarence, with their duchesses, became some of the earliest subscribers. The Duchess of Kent honoured Dr. Reed with a communication to the effect that he should have her help, “and that of her little orphan daughter Victoria, in a cause which, had he lived, her father would have espoused.” Thus encouraged, some infants were received, and a home secured in a private house until he should feel sufficiently rich in contributions to build. A second and third house were taken, but so large were the numbers seeking admission, that a building subscription was opened, to which Queen Adelaide subscribed £$0,
But at this juncture Mr. Reed was summoned away to the United States on a ministerial deputation. A year was taken up by this business, so that the project for a building remained in abeyance. He came back honoured with the title of Doctor of Divinity, but still the same hard-toiling, self-denying worker as of old. Land was secured at Wanstead, and on June the 24th, 1841, Prince Albert laid the foundation-stone. After this ceremony was over, the Prince called Dr. Reed to himself, and said before the assembly, holding out the mallet, “This, Dr. Reed, belongs to you, and I beg of you to accept of it” The charity festival took place three days afterwards in the splendid hall of Christ’s Hospital, and was described by the newspapers of the day as the most magnificent occasion of the kind held in London. At last a noble pile was raised at Wanstead, capable of accommodating 600 infant orphans. But circumstances arose which impelled him, from conscientious principles and motives, to leave the committee of management, and to sever his connection with both the Infant Orphan, and London Orphan, Asylums. This step turned out, however, in the end, productive of wider usefulness and more noble charities. The committees of both those institutions had decided to teach the Church of England catechism to the orphans, thereby closing the homes against the children of Dissenters. Dr. Reed felt this to be unjust, and determined to found an asylum for fatherless children which should be open to the children of all, without denominational tests or particular catechisms.
One day, in 1844, a few friends met in his study, and talked the matter over. As the result, it was determined to erect another asylum, and ;C 1,200 were subscribed to start with. Many of the nobility came to his aid, among them. Lord Dudley Stuart, the members of the Duke of Bedford’s family, Lord Robert Grosvenor, Miss (afterwards the Baroness) Burdett-Coutts, the Gurneys, the Morleys, and Baron Lionel Rothschild. It was felt that room existed for another charity of this kind, secured to all generations on a perfectly undenominational basis. A house was taken at Richmond to begin with, and the first year an income was obtained of £2^00. About this time Dr. Reed attended a Lord Mayor’s banquet at the Mansion House, and being recognised, was called upon to acknowledge the toast of “The Orphan’s Friend.” His note-book records the fact in these words, “Dined with the Lord Mayor. His lordship surprised me into a speech. He could not have given my name a more grateful connection. If I know my heart, I am everywhere the friend of the orphan,”
The Asylum for Fatherless Children grew and prospered, until larger premises were necessary. The house at Richmond had been exchanged for one in the Hackney Road, and this again for a “fine old iriansion*’ on Stamford Hill. But this made a run upon the funds; insomuch that Mr. Reed had to visit large towns in the midland and northern countries in order to obtain subscriptions. He raised several hundred pounds thus, and was able to say, “The orphans were once more provided with a home. I love to think of them as resting in a better dwelling than my own.”
After this, while playing with the little orphans at 104 Worlds Workers,
Stamford Hill, one day, Dr. Reed met with a severe fall, and injured his right arm. He endured much suffering for some weeks, and preached on two or three Sundays with his arm in a sling. Still, during those sleepless, suffering nights, he planned and thought for his orphans.
At last, in 1853, an estate was purchased, near Croydon, and active measures were taken to secure the erection of the building. In August, 1856, the foundation-stone was laid, but two years passed before the asylum was erected. Then, after a joyous opening service, the little ones were removed from Stamford Hill to their new home. After this, the Board of Management, out of respect for Dr. Reed’s labours in the work, and his untiring exertions on behalf of the orphans, proposed to alter the name of the estate from Coulsden to Reedham. Dr. Reed protested strongly against the change, and could never be brought to speak of the place by any other name than Coulsden; but eventually the proposal was carried, and the new name, Reedham, remains to this day, and for all coming days, as a memorial to the untiring, loving benevolence of him by whose means it was chiefly raised. It is a noble monument to Dr. Reeds memory, and has afforded shelter to thousands of orphans between the ages of three months and fifteen years.
As one specimen of his private charity, we are told that he adopted, about this time, a babe, and supported her at his own cost A poor labourer, residing at the east end of London, fell from a scaflfold, and was killed on the spot His wife felt the shock of his death so much, that she, too, soon followed him, leaving eight children, fatherless, motherless, and friendless. Upon this. Dr. Reed adopted the youngest child, but the fact was not known, until he had passed away, when she was elected into the Reedham asylum, in honour of the memory of her noble benefactor. Far and near, Dr. Andrew Reed was known and revered as the friend of the destitute fatherless or motherless orphan.