ABSTRACT
A Soldier’s Wife in Distress.—A young Irish-woman, named Mary Lawrence, the wife of a soldier in the 68th regiment of foot, which is now engaged in the war in the east, applied to Mr. Beadon for some assistance from the poor-box. The applicant, who expected hourly to be confined, and who was accompanied by her child, a little girl about six years of age, had previously been before Mr. Paynter, and it appeared that she had taken a small room in Britannia-place, Hammersmith, for the purpose of being confined there before she was passed to Ireland. She had refused to be confined in the workhouse or in any lying-in hospital, on account of her not wishing to be separated from her child. She had received relief from the parish, and Mr. Paynter had relieved her from the poor-box. One sovereign had also been sent from the Central Association for the Relief of Soldiers’ Wives, &c., which had been given to her in payments of two half-sovereigns. She now stated that she had bought a bedstead, some bedding, and other things for her room out of the money she had received, and she was then in great distress. She was then receiving 2s. per week and one loaf from the parish, out of which she had to pay 2s. for her room.—Mr. Beadon strongly recommended her to enter into one of the charitable institutions for the purpose of being confined, and he would take care to have her child properly taken care of in the workhouse until she came out, when she would be further assisted by the Central Association, which had offered to get her into a lying-in hospital, and to allow her 2s. per week after her confinement.—The applicant commenced crying, and said she wished to stay in her room with her child. She only wanted some relief till her confinement, as the relieving officer had given her an order for the parish doctor, and a female in the house had promised to attend upon her while she was ill.—Mr. Beadon could not give her any assistance if she would persist in being so foolish as not to enter a lying-in hospital. If she suffered any privation it was her own fault, and she must put up with the consequences.—The applicant then left the court crying.
