Page 2 - Barnardo Children PDF 2_Neat

Bio: Dr. Barnardo
Thomas and Syrie had sev-
en children togehter, though
three died in early childhood.
It is speculated that one of
their daughters, Marjorie,
was born with Down Syn-
drome. With the experience
of caring for her, Barnar-
do was influenced to help
children with physical and
learning disabilities, includ-
ing opening several opening
several specialist homes to
help disabled children.
T homas John Barnardo was born in
Dublin in 1845 to parents John and Ab-
igail. At age 16, he converted to Prot-
estant Evangelicalism, and within a
year, made the decision to go to China
as a medical missionary. In preparation,
Barnardo set out to London in 1866 to
train as a doctor at the London Hospi-
tal in Whitechapel.
A few months after arriving, Cholera
swept through the East end, killing over
3,000 people, and leaving thousands of
children to fend for themselves on the
streets. It was at this time that Bar-
nardo turned his focus to helping the
children of England. In 1867, he set
up a “Ragged School” in the East End,
marking the beginning of a long career
of philanthropy.
Thomas Barnardo with his wife Syrie, and their
daughter, Marjorie in 1905