Farthing Bundles
Anyone starting a history of the great British practice of philanthropy could do worse than start in the East End.
Dr Barnardo, Fred Charrington and General Booth were just three of the worthies who threw their lives into improving the lot of one of the most poverty-stricken quarters of England.
Less renowned, though equally lauded locally, was a young teacher who moved to the East End in 1894.
Her canny idea for a way to relieve poverty – while also removing the stigma of charity – became such a roaring success that it was only 14 years ago that her scheme was discontinued.
Clara Grant was born in Frome, Somerset, in 1867 and moved to Wapping 27 years later to take up a teaching post.
At the turn of the century, Clara was made head of Devons Road Infant School – re-christened Clara Grant School in 1993.
But though she could give the East End kids the knowledge that would serve them through their lives, Clara became painfully aware that they were going without the things she had enjoyed as a child – toys, picture books and the like.
She had watched the work that the Reverend Samuel Barnett had been doing at Toynbee Hall and, taking that as a model, she set up the Fern Street Settlement – her aim, to bring a little pleasure into what could be a hard childhood.
One important principle was that the scheme shouldn’t be seen as charity.
Though Clara was soon receiving generous donations of clothes, books and toys from the well-to-do, the decision was taken that all the families benefiting from Fern Street should pay a token amount for what they received – and at the same time this would pull funding back into the settlement.
Many of the donated items were deemed unsuitable for the main sales so, in the classic Victorian tradition of thrift and frugality, she put together “farthing bundles” for the kids.
“Farthing bundles are full of very human things such as children love,” explained Clara. “Tiny toys of wood, or tin, whole or broken, little balls, doll-less heads or head-less dolls, whistles, shells, beads, reels, marbles, fancy boxes, decorated pill boxes, scraps of patchwork, odds and ends of silk or wool, coloured paper for dressing up, cigarette cards and scraps.”
Her parcels were an instant hit. The kids would start queuing at quarter to seven in the morning, though the bundles would not be on sale till eight.
In fact, the scheme was such a success that the settlement had to find some way of limiting numbers. First they accepted boys and girls on alternate weeks, but by 1907 they were still selling more than 2,000 parcels.
And so in 1913 the famous “little oak arch” was introduced. The idea was that no child over a certain height could take part, and the arch was emblazoned with the legend: “Enter now ye children small, none can come who are too tall.” The kids would walk under the arch “without stooping” and could then buy their bundle.
Clara Grant could never have guessed how long her success would outlive her. She died in 1949, but in 1976 a new Fern Street Settlement was started and opened for business in 1980. Astonishingly, the farthing bundles were only discontinued in 1984.
Her name lives on, not only in the school but in Clara Grant House, Mellish Street, E14. And every time the little oak arch is ceremonially brought out, the memories of generations of East Enders are stirred, as they recall their farthing bundles.
Many thanks to Howard Bloch and Graham Hill and After the Battle Publications.