Miners’ National Orphanage

An open-air meeting in furtherance of the proposed Miners’ National Orphanage was held on Tuesday evening last, at Denaby Main. Mr. Chas. B. Vincent, the promoter of the undertaking, delivered an address in which he detailed the objects of the institution.

He said that the question was essentially one which affected women. When the bread-winner was taken away in many instances there was nothing facing those who were left behind but absolute want and privation. In such cases the proposed orphanage would step in and protect the widows and children, comforting the former in their poignant distress and training the latter to become useful and God-fearing citizens when their time came to go forth into the world.

He had had application for two children whose father some time ago met with his death while at Manvers Main Colliery. Application had also been made on behalf of two girls who were left absolute orphans by the death of both parents. Several other applications for admission to the orphanage when it was established had been made to him, and he urged his hearers in a forcible manner to help the undertaking forward by every means in their power.

He found that an impression existed that if the men wished to contribute to the funds of the proposed orphanage their money would be stopped by the Company. This, he assured them, was not the case, as the miners could subscribe what they chose and discontinue their subscriptions when they pleased to do so.

He considered it was a strange fact that, while orphanages were established for the fatherless children of sailors and railway servants, the miners, who represented a very large share of the country’s industry, had no institutions of the kind where the destitute children could be fed, clothed, and educated.

As a mark of encouragement he mentioned that some time ago he noticed at the Thrybergh quarries numerous large blocks of stone which, although useless for the particular work in which the quarrymen were engaged, would make magnificent blocks for the building of an institution of the kind he was advocating. He obtained the offer of a sufficient quantity of those blocks of stone to build the institution in question, and this he considered was a grand commencement for an institution which would accommodate not only the destitute children of miners but those of quarrymen also.

He referred to the fact that if each of the miners of England would contribute one halfpenny only per week enough would be realised, not only to feed, clothe, and educate all the fatherless children of the miners and quarrymen who had died through accident, but to supply the wants of the children of those who were called away from the world through natural causes.

Mr. Chappell, who was announced to attend the meeting, was unable to be present.