House of Mercy explained

Houses of Mercy were Anglican institutions that operated from the mid 19th century^[1] to the mid 20th.^[2] They were to house "fallen women",^[3] a term used to imply female sexual promiscuity or work in prostitution. Many women entering were unmarried mothers, an unacceptable situation at that time.^[4]

United Kingdom

England

• Bristol: This home^[5] was in Ashley Road, Bedminster.^[6]
• Stroud: The home was in the village of Bussage.^[7]
• Chester: The home was in Lache lane.^[8]
• Clewer: The Clewer House of Mercy was at Clewer near Windsor in the county of Berkshire.^{[9] [10]} William Henry Hutchings was Warden from 1865 to 1884 when he became rector of Pickering.^[11] He was succeeded by Thomas Thellusson Carter.^[12]
• Great Maplestead: This was known as the 'St Alban's House of Mercy'.^[13]
• Horbury: This home, founded in 1859,^[14] was near Wakefield.^[15] The home celebrated its Golden jubilee in 1909.^[16]
• Lostwithiel: While chaplain of Bodmin Jail, the Rev. W. F. Everest founded a Cornish home.^[17]
• Newcastle upon Tyne: This was in Salters Road, Gosforth.^[18]

Wales

• St Davids: The home was located in the village of Lamphey.^[19]

South Africa

• Cape Town: The home^[20] was located in Plein Street^[21]

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.^[22]
• The Hon Pascoe Charles Glyn: He was a partner in the banking firm of Messrs Glyn, Mills, Currie & co.^[23]
• Frances Selby Brodrick: She lived at Eaton Terrace, SW1.^[24]
• Fanny Thursby: The widow^[25] of The Rev William Ford Thursby, Rector of Bergh Apton.^[26]

Notes and References

1. ST. JOHN'S HOUSE, of MERCY, Bedminster. The Times (London, England), Friday, Aug 28, 1868; pg. 6; Issue 26215
2. Ecclesiastical News. House of Mercy, Horbury The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Jul 20, 1943; pg. 6; Issue 49602
3. THE CHURCH ASSOCIATION The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Aug 15, 1877; pg. 8; Issue 29021
4. Book: Steinbach, Susie. Women in England 1760–1914: A Social History. 2004. Palgrave Macmillan. New York. 1-4039-6754-7. 127.
5. ST. JOHN'S HOUSE, of MERCY, Bedminster. The Times (London, England), Friday, Aug 28, 1868; pg. 6; Issue 26215
6. 'A Bristol Miscellany', Patrick McGrath (ed) p200: Bristol, Bristol Record Society, 1985 .
7. Ecclesiastical Intelligence The Times (London, England), Friday, Apr 29, 1898; pg. 8; Issue 35503
8. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/7ec3be44-e5db-4cd6-9b54-4b8bc8d8da44 National Archives
9. http://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/this-months-highlight/2012-archive/october-2012-good-works-clewer/ Berkshire Record Office
10. Carter, T. T.; Hutchings, W. H.: Life and Letters of Thomas Thellusson Carter: Warden of the House of Mercy. London: Longman, 1904
11. Dr. W. H. Hutchings. The Times (London, England), Monday, Jan. 08, 1912; pg. 11; Issue 39789
12. Staley, V. (1908) The Catholic Religion. Oxford: A. R. Mowbray & Co.; p. vii (preface written in 1893)
13. Ecclesiastical News. The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Apr 21, 1925; pg. 17; Issue 43941
14. Obituary.Canon John Sharp The Times (London, England), Thursday, Jun 11, 1903; pg. 10; Issue 37104
15. Public Appointments. The Times (London, England), Saturday, Mar 17, 1923; pg. 3; Issue 43292
16. Ecclesiastical Intelligence The Times (London, England), Monday, Mar 01, 1909; pg. 4; Issue 38895
17. Obituary William Frederick Everest The Times (London, England), Friday, Sep 28, 1906; pg. 7; Issue 38137
18. David Knight, ‘Gurney, Henry Palin (1847–1904)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 26 Feb 2017
19. Ecclesiastical Intelligence The Times (London, England), Friday, Nov 27, 1891; pg. 6; Issue 33493
20. The Sisters Of All Saints', Cape Town W. G. CAMERON The Times (London, England), Monday, Oct 14, 1895; pg. 7; Issue 34707
21. http://www.leliebloem.org.za/ Leliebloem House
22. Book: Isba, Anne. Gladstone and Women. 2006. Hambledon Continuum. London. 1-85285-471-5. 102.
23. Wills And Bequests.-The Hon. Pascoe Charles Glyn The Times (London, England), Thursday, Dec 01, 1904; pg. 12; Issue 37566
24. Large Gifts For Charitable Institutions The Times (London, England), Saturday, Sep 02, 1911; pg. 9; Issue 39680
25. http://www.thepeerage.com/p19430.htm#i194299 thePeerage.com
26. Wills and bequests The Times (London, England), Thursday, Mar 10, 1910; pg. 13; Issue 39216