The following article, which told of the lives of some of the residents of the Women’s Shelter in Hanbury Street, appeared in The Social Gazette on Saturday the 20th of August, 1910:-
ROSIE – A DAUGHTER OF ERIN
HOW OUR HANBURY STREET HOME PRESERVES ITS INDEPENDENCE
Real Irish Point Lace
What a mine of hidden romance is the old Women’s Shelter in Hanbury Street, Whitechapel!
Life’s record is nearly ended for many of the inmates.
There are but few new leaves to turn over; but, oh, the tragedies that might be read where it is possible to peruse earlier pages.
THE BENT AND SHRIVELLED WOMAN
These, however, are sealed in mystery, and guarded from intrusion as carefully as yonder bent and shrivelled woman protects the contents of the bag she carries from desecrating eyes.
See how she steals into that distant corner before opening its mouth and penetrating into its mysterious depth.
A few crusts, maybe, gathered from a dustheap, some bright gewgaw that has attracted her eye, or, that rare find, a castoff garment, or piece of flannel, yet she instinctively keeps her treasures out of the reach of prying eyes.
LITTLE NEED TO FEAR
She was not ever thus, and she dreads ridicule. Poor thing! She has little need to fear, for, with all its separate woes, this is one common humanity.
“Bedad, and me worst failin’ was ivver me purse an’ me pride!”, proclaims a daughter of Erin, who comes in after a bad day, shaking her head gloomily.
“But for me pride, shure it’s me purse that might have been full to-day.”
But her pride forbade further disclosures.
OLD ROSIE
Old Rosie is Irish also, as her work, if not her tongue, betrays.
Exquisite crotchet designs are being formed beneath her skilful fingers, the delicacy of whose touch no amount of roughening with the hard labours of the day can destroy.
It is real Irish-point lace – what a find in a Whitechapel back street!
What might not poor Rosie be with her gift, were it not for the cursed drink!
She acknowledges that that is her failing.
STRETCHING TO BREAKFAST AND SUPPER
In another corner, a woman settles down to solve the problem of making one and a half pence provide both supper and breakfast.
Finally, she lays it out in a penny bowl of soup and a halfpenny hunch of bread, the larger portion of the latter being put on one side for the morning.
She well knows that one or other of the ‘old darlings’ will share with her their tea to relish the meagre breakfast.
A NOMINAL FEE FOR LODGING
Hanbury Street Shelter is not a pauperizing Institution.
It has been found that the system of charging a nominal fee for board and lodging has a beneficial effect upon the women, increasing their self-respect and preventing the Home becoming a rendezvous of undesirables.