Houses of Mercy were Anglican institutions that operated from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th. They were to house "fallen women", a term used to imply female sexual promiscuity or work in prostitution. Many women entering were unmarried mothers, an unacceptable situation at that time.
United Kingdom
England
- Bristol: This home was in Ashley Road, Bedminster.
- Stroud: The home was in the village of Bussage.
- Chester: The home was in Lache lane.
- Clewer: The Clewer House of Mercy was at Clewer near Windsor in the county of Berkshire. William Henry Hutchings was Warden from 1865 to 1884 when he became rector of Pickering. He was succeeded by Thomas Thellusson Carter.
- Great Maplestead: This was known as the 'St Alban's House of Mercy'.
- Horbury: This home, founded in 1859, was near Wakefield. The home celebrated its Golden jubilee in 1909.
- Lostwithiel: While chaplain of Bodmin Jail, the Rev. W. F. Everest founded a Cornish home.
- Newcastle upon Tyne: This was in Salters Road, Gosforth.
Wales
South Africa
- Cape Town: The home was located in Plein Street
Notable donors
As an Anglican charity, the homes attracted many notable sponsors, such as
- Catherine Gladstone: She was the wife of four times Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone.
- The Hon Pascoe Charles Glyn: He was a partner in the banking firm of Messrs Glyn, Mills, Currie & co.
- Frances Selby Brodrick: She lived at Eaton Terrace, SW1.
- Fanny Thursby: The widow of The Rev William Ford Thursby, Rector of Bergh Apton.
References
- ST. JOHN'S HOUSE, of MERCY, Bedminster. The Times (London, England), Friday, Aug 28, 1868; pg. 6; Issue 26215
- Ecclesiastical News. House of Mercy, Horbury The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Jul 20, 1943; pg. 6; Issue 49602
- THE CHURCH ASSOCIATION The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Aug 15, 1877; pg. 8; Issue 29021
- Steinbach, Susie (2004). Women in England 1760–1914: A Social History. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 127. ISBN 1-4039-6754-7.
- ST. JOHN'S HOUSE, of MERCY, Bedminster. The Times (London, England), Friday, Aug 28, 1868; pg. 6; Issue 26215
- 'A Bristol Miscellany', Patrick McGrath (ed) p200: Bristol, Bristol Record Society, 1985 090153866X.
- Ecclesiastical Intelligence The Times (London, England), Friday, Apr 29, 1898; pg. 8; Issue 35503
- National Archives
- Berkshire Record Office
- Carter, T. T.; Hutchings, W. H.: Life and Letters of Thomas Thellusson Carter: Warden of the House of Mercy. London: Longman, 1904
- Dr. W. H. Hutchings. The Times (London, England), Monday, Jan. 08, 1912; pg. 11; Issue 39789
- Staley, V. (1908) The Catholic Religion. Oxford: A. R. Mowbray & Co.; p. vii (preface written in 1893)
- Ecclesiastical News. The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Apr 21, 1925; pg. 17; Issue 43941
- Obituary.Canon John Sharp The Times (London, England), Thursday, Jun 11, 1903; pg. 10; Issue 37104
- Public Appointments. The Times (London, England), Saturday, Mar 17, 1923; pg. 3; Issue 43292
- Ecclesiastical Intelligence The Times (London, England), Monday, Mar 01, 1909; pg. 4; Issue 38895
- Obituary William Frederick Everest The Times (London, England), Friday, Sep 28, 1906; pg. 7; Issue 38137
- David Knight, ‘Gurney, Henry Palin (1847–1904)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 26 Feb 2017
- Ecclesiastical Intelligence The Times (London, England), Friday, Nov 27, 1891; pg. 6; Issue 33493
- The Sisters Of All Saints', Cape Town W. G. CAMERON The Times (London, England), Monday, Oct 14, 1895; pg. 7; Issue 34707
- Leliebloem House
- Isba, Anne (2006). Gladstone and Women. London: Hambledon Continuum. p. 102. ISBN 1-85285-471-5.
- Wills And Bequests.-The Hon. Pascoe Charles Glyn The Times (London, England), Thursday, Dec 01, 1904; pg. 12; Issue 37566
- Large Gifts For Charitable Institutions The Times (London, England), Saturday, Sep 02, 1911; pg. 9; Issue 39680
- thePeerage.com
- Wills and bequests The Times (London, England), Thursday, Mar 10, 1910; pg. 13; Issue 39216