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Inside a tent on Mitcham Common
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Inside a tent on Mitcham Common
Inside a tent on Mitcham Common, the home to two men, their wives, and fourteen children of various ages. Mr. George Smith, social reformer of Coalville, Leicester, visited this encampment and commented on the " wretched and miserable" living conditions. Finding a woman recently given birth in this tent, Smith was moved to give her a small amount of money, on which the mother insisted in her gratitude that he could name the child whatever he chose. The child was named Deliverance.
1879
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Media ID 7185399
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10527496
1879 Camping Common Conditions Encampment Gipsies Gipsy Gypsies Gypsy Living Mitcham Poor Poverty Slum Squalor Tent Traveller Smith
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures the grim reality of life inside a cramped and dilapidated tent on Mitcham Common in 1879. Home to two men, their wives, and fourteen children of various ages, the living conditions depicted here were described by social reformer Mr. George Smith as "wretched and miserable." Smith, a resident of Coalville, Leicester, was deeply moved by the plight of the family he encountered, particularly when he discovered a woman who had recently given birth in these squalid surroundings. Moved by compassion, Smith offered the new mother a small sum of money as assistance. In her heartfelt gratitude, she bestowed upon him the power to name the child. The child was named Deliverance, a poignant reminder of the struggles and hardships faced by this family and countless others living in poverty during the Victorian era in England. The scene unfolds against the backdrop of the crowded and cramped encampment, where the squalor and grime are palpable. The image serves as a stark reminder of the challenging conditions faced by the Gypsy and Traveller communities during this period and the ongoing struggle for better living conditions and social acceptance.
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