Homes for Fallen Women
There is plenty of background information about homes for fallen women here.
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Lucy Adderley 1874-1922, from Gnosall, Staffordshire - Illegitimacy, Infanticide, Lawbreaking, Murder, Prostitution, Homes for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 16 minute read. Please note that this story contains an account of infant death in tragic circumstances. A podcast version of this story is available above.
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If you have further information about any of the women whose stories are told here, please do get in touch. The information in these stories is accurate to the best of our knowledge, given the sources that were available to us at the time of writing. We cannot be held responsible for any errors of fact that may have inadvertently included. Please inform us if you believe that any errors have been made. Where the women have descendants, we have tried to contact them to get permission to tell their ancestor's stories. This has not always been possible. If we have told a story of your ancestors and you would rather we removed it, please do contact us.
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Eliza Florence Ashton, later Eliza Florence Ellis, 1862-1917, from Hull, Yorkshire – Lawbreaking, Suicide, Refuges for Fallen Women (Essex). 6 minute read. Please note that this story contains an account of attempted suicide.
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Mary Jane Astley, later Mary Jane Dix 1873-1966, from Stafford, Staffordshire – Illegitimacy, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 9 minute read.
Fanny Sophia Austen 1821-1904, from Ryde, Isle of Wight – No Descendants, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Essex). 4 minute read.
Ellen/Helen Botting, later Ellen/Helen Miles 1863-1949, from Horsham, Sussex – No Descendants, Refuges for Fallen Women (Basingstoke). 3 minute read.
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Edna Jane Bo(u)lton, later Edna Jane McFee, previously Edna Jane Ball, then Edna Jane Jopson 1866-1935, from Fenton, Staffordshire – No Descendants, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 6 minute read.
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Mary Ann Sanders Burgess, later Mary Ann Sanders Coombe 1864-1940, from Woodbury Salterton, Devon - Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Exeter). 6 minute read.
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Ethel Lilian May Coombe 1889-1940, from Exeter, Devon – No Descendants, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Exeter). 6 minute read.
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Emma Jane Fulford 1842-1910, from Barford St. Martin, Wiltshire – No Descendants, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 5 minute read.
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Laura Blanche Grey 1835-1914, from Woodmansterne, Surrey - No Descendants, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Essex). 5 minute read.
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Sophia Gribble 1867-1941, from Crediton, Devon - Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, Refuges for Fallen Women (Exeter). 2 minute read.
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Mary King 1869-?, from Kinver, Staffordshire - Refuges for Fallen Women (Edgbaston). 5 minute read.
Emily Esther Leaves 1857-?, from East Stonehouse, Devon - Refuges for Fallen Women (Basingstoke). 3 minute read.
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Eleanor Lewington 1861-?, from Odiam, Hampshire – Refuges for Fallen Women (Basingstoke). 6 minute read. Please note that this story contains details of an inquest report, which some readers may find upsetting.
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Frances Amelia MacDonald 1842-1910, from West Alvington, Devon – No Descendants, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 4 minute read.​​
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Annie E Mallaby or Elizabeth Ann Mallaby, later Elizabeth Ann Harrison, 1862-1921?, from Birmingham, Warwickshire - Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 3 minute read.
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Avery (aka Elizabeth) Pettifer Mawby, later Avery Pettifer Rawlinson, afterwards Avery Pettifer West 1859-1950, from Eydon, Northamptonshire – Lawbreaking, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Edgbaston). 5 minute read.
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Lily Mayo, later Lily Richards 1883-?, from Torquay, Devon - Refuges for Fallen Women (Exeter). 3 minute read.
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Edith Meacham, later Edith Bridge 1873-1955, from Tettenhall, Staffordshire – Illegitimacy, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 3 minute read.
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Sarah Ann Mepham, later Sarah Ann Laycock 1853-1933, from Brighton, Sussex - Refuges for Fallen Women (Essex). 4 minute read.
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Bessie Noon aka Bessie Northover, later Bessie Barnett 1864-1934, from Gosport, Hampshire - Refuges for Fallen Women (Essex). 5 minute read.
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Ellen Norman, later Ellen Carter 1853-1941, from Westhall, Suffolk – Illegitimacy, Refuges for Fallen Women (Edgbaston). 3 minute read.
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Emmeline Pemberton, later Emmeline Mann 1858-1898, from Birmingham, Warwickshire – Illegitimacy, Mental Health, Refuges for Fallen Women (Edgbaston). 2 minute read.
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Alice Reeves, later Alice Jarvis 1874-1953, from Lichfield, Staffordshire – Lawbreaking, Mental Health, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire) 18 minute read.
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Alice Amelia Spear, later Alice Amelia Sambell 1872-1954, from Stonehouse, Devon – Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Exeter) 4 minute read.
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Amy Gertrude Sutton, later Amy Gertrude Bayliss after wards Amy Gertrude Clay 1870-1944, from Coventry, Warwickshire - Refuges for Fallen Women (Edgbaston). 4 minute read.
Elizabeth Alice Taylor, later Elizabeth Alice Snelson 1873-1945, from Flixton, Lancashire – Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 3 minute read.
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Prudence Kelland Townsend, later Prudence Kelland Hooper 1887-1947, from Dartmouth, Devon – Abandonment, Lawbreaking, Refuges for Fallen Women (Exeter). 5 minute read.
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Emma Rachel Veness 1826-1893, from Deptford, Kent – No Descendants, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Basingstoke). 10 minute read.
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Maria Vuller 1861-1934, from Aldershot, Hampshire – Mental Health, No Descendants, Suicide, Refuges for Fallen Women (Basingstoke). 6 minute read. Please note that this story includes an account of attempted suicide.
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Rose Waters 1872-?, from Watton, Norfolk - Lawbreaking, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Edgbaston). 3 minute read.
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Harriet Watkins 1874-1896, from Ludlow, Shropshire – No Descendants, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 4 minute read.
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Priscilla Wesley, later Priscilla Wilkinson 1874-1932, from Wolverhampton, Staffordshire - Lawbreaking, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 13 minute read.
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Mary Ann Whitbread 1880-1963, from Meridan, Warwickshire – Mental Health, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Edgbaston). 8 minute read.
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Olive Wood 1859-?, from Stafford, Staffordshire – Suicide, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 5 minute read. Please note that this story contains an account of suicide.
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Charlotte Emma Yates 1852-?, from Chelsea, Middlesex – Illegitimacy, Refuges for Fallen Women (Essex). 2 minute read.
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At the moment, we do not have enough information about some of the women to list them with a story of their own but we are committed to remembering them. What we do know about them is included in our Shorter Stories file, where you will find information about Emma Elizabeth Barton later Emma Elizabeth Doughty afterwards Emma Elizabeth Nosgrave; Annie Bramridge later Annie Lamb; Mary Ellen Coldstream later Mary Ellen Mawdesley afterwards Mary Ellen Hardman, Elizabeth Etheridge; Charlotte Hawkes; Anne Hinkley; Sarah Ann Pearson later Sarah Ann Poole; Mary Ellen Shufflebotham and Caroline Tyrell later Caroline Forty afterwards Caroline Gillard.
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