Many people in the past did not live to the age they do today and children had often lost one or both parents before they reached adolescence. Illegitimate children were in many cases just abandoned on the streets.
In 1747 Thomas Conram was so appalled at the number of children abandoned in London and founded the first orphanage in Bloomsbury.
It was not until 1866 the more famously known Thomas Barnardo established his charity "Dr Barnardos" and in 1870 his first home opened in Stepney. This was for boys only and three years later a girl's home opened in Barkingside in Essex and this housed amazingly over 1,500 orphaned girls alone.
By the time he died in 1905 his charity had 96 homes and a population of more than 8,500 children. As life expectancy extended the number of homeless children declined but even today there are still a high number of orphans for a number of reasons.
In 1747 Thomas Conram was so appalled at the number of children abandoned in London and founded the first orphanage in Bloomsbury.
It was not until 1866 the more famously known Thomas Barnardo established his charity "Dr Barnardos" and in 1870 his first home opened in Stepney. This was for boys only and three years later a girl's home opened in Barkingside in Essex and this housed amazingly over 1,500 orphaned girls alone.
By the time he died in 1905 his charity had 96 homes and a population of more than 8,500 children. As life expectancy extended the number of homeless children declined but even today there are still a high number of orphans for a number of reasons.