Chronic pain is invisible...

A Ramble about some Benevolent Societies

In the 18^th and 19^th Centuries the rise of rich industrialists led to them donating funds to a large number of newly established philanthropic and missionary societies.  Their wives and the wives and daughters of the upper classes often assisted these charities by sitting on their committees and even doing work for them.  Amongst some of the more interesting charities were –

The Society of Universal Goodwill  (there is now a society of a similar name – The International Society of Friendship and Good Will which began in 1978)

The Society for Superseding the Necessity of Climbing Boys (to reduce the number of boys that sweeps sent climbing up chimneys to clean them).

The Society of Friends of Foreigners in Distress.

 Guy's Hospital for sick and impotent persons and lunaticks (founded 1721)

 The General Benevolent Institution for the Relief of Decayed Artists of the United Kingdom

The Institution for the Protection of Young Country Girls (founded 1801).

 The Society for the Suppression of Mendicity

The Society for Carrying into Effect His Majesty’s Proclamations Against Vice and Immorality (Founded in 1788 - Its purpose was the Reformation of Manners - to enforce the Execution of the Laws against Drunkenness, Lewdness, indecent Prints & indecent Publications, disorderly Public Houses & all the various Profanations of the Lord's Day...).

The London Society for the Encouragement of Faithful Female Servants (Insituted 1813).

The Association for the Refutation of Infidel Publications.

The Society for the Diffusion of Knowledge upon the Punishment of Death

The Guardian Society for the Preservation of Public Morals by Providing Temporary Asylums for Prostitutes

The Episcopal Floating Church Society - a real society of honest people. 

 The Society for improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes.

 

The Ladies Association for the Benefit of Gentlewomen of Good Family, Reduced in Fortunes Below the State of Comfort to Which They Have Been Accustomed.

The London Truss Society for the Ruptured Poor.  (Founded 1807 - I wonder if there was enmity or collaboration between this and the Rupture Society for the Supply of Trusses to the Indigent Poor of both Sexes founded in 1804/5  (and also known as the New Rupture Society).  This latter was certainly at war with the original Rupture Society founded in 1796 - they fought their war via correspondence in The Medical Observer.  In fairness rupture was a major problem and it was estimated in 1807 that in some parts of the country as many as a quarter of the labouring population were affected by hernias and ruptures, including men and women of all ages.  That year the Duke of Bedford donated 100 guineas to the New Rupture Society  which was still advertising meetings in 1950 and survived long enough to be given a registered charity number though it was removed from the listings of the Charity Commission in 2001 because it had then ceased to exist.)

You couldn't make these up if you tried!!! 

The Friendly Female Society for the Relief of the Poor, Infirm, Aged Widows and Single Women, of Good Character who Have Seen Better Days,

And my favourite

The Forlorn Female’s Fund of Mercy.   If you know any Forlorn Females I shall try to find if it still exists.

Bits and Bobs

I got side-tracked

How often does it happen that we go on our computers with a specific task in mind and get side-tracked?  In my case, all too frequently. Today I set out to do something (I have now totally forgotten what which is even worse!) and ended up checking my e-mails, writing responses, checking comments that needed moderation, replying to some of the comments, looking at my friends’ Facebook activities, looking a  few friends’ blogs, scanning in a couple of postcards, writing a postcard blog post, checking Google Maps for something and even getting side-tracked from that to look at the new 3D Goggle Earth.  I wonder what you set out to do on your computer today and did you do it?

Spring in the garden

Spring Squill.

Daffodil (‘Mount Hood’ variety, I think)

 

Cherry – now fully out.

The Pixies have been planting Dandelions again…

 Mac  and Annabel

£3.99 from Tesco and worth every penny!

Annabel keeping watch.

Mac in serious mood.

Annabel playing Peep.

   

Best of friends.

Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe to........

 

The French existentialist author and Nobel Prize-winner Albert Camus (1913-1960) was goalkeeper for an Algerian University football team.  He once said “Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe to football,”

Anyone want to join my gang?

I'm joining a newly established Book Club next week.  What will it be like, I wonder?  (Do you put a question mark at the end of a rhetorical question?)

A rough week...

That says it all...

Annabel and Mac

Annabel – the lap cat.  “Yes, I know you are trying to work!  But, more importantly, I’m trying to get attention!”

Playing hide and seek with Mac.

There’s a mouse here somewhere.

 

I wonder if it’s in here?

Mac, looking serious.

Annabel, trying the ‘Aren’t I sweet’ approach to getting attention.

Getting treats.

This is mine.

Attack, attack, attack…

You asked for it…

Best of friends again.

The perfect picture

 

Isn't this just the perfect picture.    (Posted especially for Friend-über-special.)