July 24, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
68 
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THE GARDENERS’ ORPHAN 
FUND. 
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OW that this admirable charity is fully and firmly established 
the time seems opportune for a recapitulation of the steps 
that were taken in its foundation, and for reporting the progress 
that has been made. The Fund was established on July 12th, 
1887, and in the statement of accounts presented to the third 
.annual meeting on July 18th, 1890, we find a record such as the 
most sanguine of its promoters could scarcely have anticipated 
when they were formulating a plan of action three years ago. 
These three years have been eventful in having shown in a remark¬ 
able manner how real is the sympathy of a large number of persons 
in the horticultural community with those who are struggling 
under adverse conditions for the maintenance of the fatherless 
children of gardeners, so many of whom, a3 experience has proved, 
were left helpless on the world. For aiding in the support of the 
practically destitute children of deceased gardeners, and rescuing 
them from pauperism, a sum exceeding £3000 has been raised for 
yielding revenue, while last year alone the payments to orphans 
■amounted to nearly £250. Such a result, after meeting all the 
expenses of foundation and management, is most gratifying and 
encouraging. At the present time thirty children are provided for 
—twenty-five of these by election, four by munificent donations 
from the Duke of Bedford, Mr. Sherwood, and Mr. Yeitch ; and 
one by a sum raised as a fitting memorial of the late Mr. W. Wild- 
smith. As representing the first three years’ work the above 
record, we think, is unparalleled in the history of charitable institu¬ 
tions in connection with gardening. The good that has been done 
.and will be accomplished cannot be appreciated, but the greater 
this is the greater the reward to all who have shared in the 
•endeavour to relieve human misery through the channels of this 
Fund. 
Its present position has not been attained without effort, 
anxiety, and grievous associations. During the short period of its 
existence the charity has been deprived by death of the valuable 
services of four of its officials—Messrs. J. Woodbridge and C. Howe, 
members of the Committee ; Mr. W. Wildsmith, local Secretary ; 
and Mr. G. Deal, the first Chairman of the Committee. Mr. Deal, 
clear headed and good hearted, was the man for the moment, and it 
was largely through his instrumentality that the Fund was placed 
on such a sound basis in such a comparatively short time. That 
his name and services will be forgotten there is no cause for 
anxiety, and it is not unlikely that under the stimulus of those 
true friends of the charity, Messrs. Sherwood and Yeitch, that 
the whole of the seven unsuccessful candidates at the recent 
■election will become beneficiaries as Memorial children of the late 
Chairman. As a tribute to his worth none other could be so 
appropriate. If anything could lessen the grief occasioned by his 
death of those who were near and d?ar to him it is providing the 
means of life to seven gardeners’ orphans, and if the Fund has 
done nothing more than that its existence would have been 
justified; but instead of seven it will shortly afford support to 
thirty-seven, whereat all in sympathy with the object must 
rejoice. 
While it is true that “ great results from little causes spring ” 
the cause of the origin of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund was a great 
one—a great historical event, the fiftieth year of the reign of our 
Sovereign—but the first step taken that led to such an important 
No. 52 G,—Vol. XXI., Third Series. 
position as the charity now occupies was a small one—a short letter 
written to the gardening papers by Mr. C. Penny of Sandringham. 
This letter appeared in the Journal of Horticulture on February 
10th, 1887. Yarious propositions had been made for commemo¬ 
rating the above event, but Mr. Penny proposed the establishment 
of an orphanage with land attached as a home and school for the 
orphans of gardeners. He said, “When one sees earnest hard¬ 
working gardeners struck down in the very heyday of life, leaving 
the children totally unprovided for, it seems time that some such 
scheme should be set on foot.” Propositions of a similar nature 
were made almost simultaneously by Messrs. H. J. Clayton and 
J. Udale. Sympathy with the object was apparent, though there 
was considerable divergence of opinion on the question of 
procedure, and a large correspondence ensued. Observing that 
the main object was being obscured by a number of side 
issues, we gave prominence to the chief “Jubilee propositions 
in a leading article on March 3rd of the same year, and in refer¬ 
ence to a large sum of money being collected for an orphanage 
remarked:— 
“ Iii all probability much more good could be done with the 
money without a necessarily costly ‘ home ’ or building than 
with one and went on to say : “In an undertaking of the kind 
suggested, a question for the consideration of the projector and 
his supporters is the desirability of forming a central committee 
for deciding on a form of appeal, and drafting propositions 
to be submitted to gardeners and others in sympathy with the 
object in various parts of the country. With a complete 
organisation and wide concerted action there is not a doubt that 
a very large sum of money may be collected with the object of 
assisting the widows of gardeners in bringing up their children, 
and affording orphans a means of support and education, fitting 
them for their duties in life. The precise form in which this 
could be best done is a question that must be governed by^the 
circumstances of the case. The object itself is so good tha'j it 
would command support if placed before the public in a manner 
that could be devised by a committee of business men, for no 
individual, however able and earnest, ought to be expected to 
carry out a work of the magnitude suggested even with the aid, 
generous though it may be, of casual helpers, and it appears to us 
that an administrative body is necessary for carrying out, in the 
best manner of which it is capable, the project of which the Prince 
of Wales’ gardener has had the honour to originate. If Mr. Penny 
should be fortunate in securing the patronage of his august master, 
the ‘ Popular Prince,’ to this good object, its success will be 
assured.” 
That was what appeared in this Journal on the date mentioned, 
and though it could not be expected to secure the patronage of 
the Prince of Wales at the outset, which, for obvious reasons, 
cannot be given to new movements of a speculative character, it 
arrested the attention and secured the services of Mr. George Deal. 
He at once took a lead in the movement, and in consultation with 
friends the idea of a building was abandoned, an appeal made for 
support, and eventually a meeting was held on March 22nd in the 
conservatory at South Kensington to decide on future action. 
About thirty representative horticulturists were present, and Mr. 
Deal occupied the chair. The sense of the meeting was strongly 
against a building, and it w r as determined to raise a fund to b8 
applied as subsequent meetings might direct for the assistance of 
gardeners’ orphans. After some consultation it was decided on 
the proposition of Mr. J. Wright that the scheme should be 
entitled the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. A provisional Com¬ 
mittee was then appointed to consider the whole question, prepare 
rules, and report to a future meeting. The President of the 
Royal Horticultural Society subsequently granted the use o 
the Council room at Chiswick, and thus Chiswick became the 
headquarters of the Committee — a great advantage, with its 
Superintendent as Secretary. On July 12th a general meeting 
was held at South Kensington for receiving the report of the 
provisional Committee, and considering the rules at the same 
time presented. 
This was a large and enthusiastic meeting, presided over by Sir 
No. 2182.—Yol. LXXXIII., Old Series! 
