When Thomas Barnardo was born in Ireland in 1845, no one would have guessed that he would become one of the most famous social reformers the world has ever seen. In the short space of 40 years, Barnardo changed the lives of more than 60,000 children, rescuing them from poverty and giving them a future.
Barnardo was the fourth child of a fur trader in Dublin. The family was fairly well-off and he was educated at good schools. But he was not a good student and because of his argumentative personality his teachers saw him as a troublemaker. When he was 16, Barnardo failed his school examinations and got a job with a local wine merchant.
At the age of 17, Barnard became a devout Christian and joined the Open Brethren Christian movement. He already had a strong social conscience and decided to become a missionary in China. The Brethren gave him the money to move to London to study medicine.
In the middle of the 19th century, London was struggling to adapt to the effects of the Industrial Revolution. Millions of people had poured into the city looking for work, but there was not enough housing or jobs to go round. As a result, many people lived in appalling conditions.
When Barnardo arrived in London, a dreadful outbreak of cholera was sweeping through the city. Hundreds of children were made homeless by the disease and were living on the streets. As a Christian, Barnardo was shocked by what he saw. He was so affected by the horrors of social deprivation in London that he decided to give up his plans to go to China and devote himself to helping destitute children.
Barnardo used some of his own money to set up a mission in the East End of London where poor children could get shelter and a basic education. He called on his Christian connections to get practical help and financial support for the mission. Barnardo quickly saw the need for establishing more homes that would offer children accommodation and care.