This lady will be ranked with the memorable persons of the age; her
enthusiastic and ceaseless endeavours to do good, the discretion and
intelligence with which she pursues her aims, and her remarkable
self-sacrifices in the cause of humanity, placing her in the category
of the Mrs Frys and other heroic Englishwomen. The history of Mrs
Chisholm's labours up to the present time is worthy of being fully
told.
Caroline Jones, as this lady was originally called, is the daughter of
William Jones, a respectable yeoman of Northamptonshire; and when
about twenty years of age, she was married to Captain A. Chisholm of
the Madras army. Two years after this event, she removed with her
husband to India, where she entered upon those movements of a public
nature that have so eminently distinguished her. Shocked with the
depravities to which the children of soldiers are exposed in the
barrack-rooms, she rested not till she had established a School of
Industry for girls, which became eminently successful, and, under an
extended form, has continued to be of great social importance to
Madras. The pupils were taught to sew, cook, and otherwise manage
household affairs; and we are told, that on finishing their
education, they were eagerly sought for as servants, or wives, by
non-commissioned officers. In this career of usefulness, Mrs Chisholm
employed herself until 1838, when, for the benefit of her husband's
health, and that of her infant family, she left India for Australia,
the climate of which seemed likely to prove beneficial. At the end of
the year, she arrived in Sydney, where, besides attending to family
matters, there was plenty of scope for philanthropic exertion. Drawing
our information from a small work purporting to present a memoir of
Mrs Chisholm,[1] it appears that 'the first objects that came under
her notice, and were benefited by her benevolence, were a party of
Highland emigrants, who had been sent to the shores of a country where
the language spoken was to them strange and unknown, and without a
friend to assist or guide them in that path of honourable labour which
they desired. As a temporary means of relief, Mrs Chisholm lent them
money to purchase tools and wheelbarrows, whereby they might cut and
sell firewood to the inhabitants. The success of this experiment was
gratifying both to the bestower and receiver; in the one it revived
drooping hopes, the other it incited to larger enterprises of
humanity.'
In 1840, Captain Chisholm returned to his duties in India, leaving his
wife and family to remain some time longer in Sydney; and from this
period may be dated her extraordinary efforts for meliorating the
condition of poor female emigrants. What fell under her notice in
connection with these luckless individuals was truly appalling.
Huddled into a barrack on arrival; no trouble taken to put girls in
the way of earning an honest livelihood; moral pollution all around;
the government authorities and everybody else too busy to mind whether
emigration was rightly or wrongly conducted--there was evidently much
to be done. In January 1841, Mrs Chisholm wrote to Lady Gipps, the
wife of the governor, on the subject; tried to interest others; and
although with some doubts as to the result, all expressed themselves
interested. Much jealousy and prejudice, however, required to be
overcome. Bigotry was even brought into play. There might be some deep
sectarian scheme in the pretended efforts to serve these young and
unprotected females. We need hardly speak in the language of
detestation of this species of obstructiveness, which prevents
hundreds of valuable schemes of social melioration from being entered
into. Fortunately, Mrs Chisholm treated with scorn or indifference the
various means adopted to retard her benevolent operations. She
persevered until she had organised the Female Emigrants' Home. She
says: 'I appealed to the public for support: after a time, this appeal
was liberally met. There were neither sufficient arrangements made for
removing emigrants into the interior, nor for protecting females on
their arrival. A few only were properly protected, while hundreds were
wandering about Sydney without friends or protection--great numbers of
these young creatures were thrown out of employment by new arrivals. I
received into the Home several, who, I found, had slept out many
nights in the government domain, seeking the sheltered recesses of the
rocks rather than encounter the dangers of the streets. It was
estimated that there were 600 females, at the time I commenced,
unprovided for in Sydney. I made an offer to the government of
gratuitously devoting my time to the superintendence of a Home of
Protection for them in the town, and also to exert myself to procure
situations for them in the country.'
While making arrangements for conducting the establishment for female
emigrants, Mrs Chisholm acquired a consciousness that male emigrants
of a humble class likewise required some degree of attention. Great
numbers, for want of proper information, did not know what to do with
themselves on arrival. 'At the time labourers were required in the
interior, there were numbers idle in Sydney, supported at the expense
of the government. Things wore a serious aspect; mischief-making
parties, for some paltry gain, fed the spirit of discontent. The
Irish lay in the streets, looking vacantly, and basking in the sun.
Apart from them, Englishmen, sullen in feature, sat on gates and
palings, letting their legs swing in the air. Another group was
composed of Scotchmen, their hands thrust into their empty pockets,
suspiciously glancing at everything and everybody from beneath their
bushy eyebrows. Mrs Chisholm ventured to produce a change; she
provided for the leaders first, shewed how she desired to be the
friend of the industrious man, and went with numbers in search of
employment, far into the country. She undertook journeys of 300 miles
into the interior with families; and the further she went, the more
satisfactory was the settlement of the parties accompanying this brave
lady. "When the public had an opportunity of judging of the effect of
my system," writes Mrs Chisholm, "they came forward, and enabled me to
go on. The government contributed, in various ways, to the amount of
about L.150. I met with great assistance from the country committees.
The squatters and settlers were always willing to give me conveyance
for the people. The country people always supplied provisions. Mr
William Bradley, a native of the colony, authorised me to draw upon
him for money, provisions, horses, or anything I might require; but
the people met my efforts so readily, that I had no necessity to draw
upon him for a sixpence. At public inns, the females were sheltered,
and I was provisioned myself without charge: my personal expenses,
during my seven years' service, amounted to only L.1, 18s. 6d. As
numbers of the masters were afraid, if they advanced the money for the
conveyance by the steamers, the parties would never reach the
stations, I met the difficulty by advancing the fare, confiding in the
good feeling of the man that he would keep to his agreement, and to
the principle of the master that he would repay me. Although in
hundreds of cases the masters were then strangers to me, I only lost
L.16 by casualties. At times, I have paid as much as L.40 for
steamers, and, from first to last, in following out my system, I have
been the means of settling 11,000 souls. The largest number that ever
left Sydney under my charge, at one time, was 147; but from accessions
on the road, they increased considerably. The longest journey of this
kind occupied five weeks, three weeks of which were passed on the
road."'
One cannot but admire the enthusiasm with which all this was gone
through. The whole thing was a labour of love, and carried through, as
will be observed, not without vast personal toil, and some degree of
pecuniary outlay. Mrs Chisholm says she lost only L.16; but how few
people in her rank, and with as comparatively moderate means, would
give L.16 to promote any benevolent project whatsoever! The bulk of
mankind content themselves with contributing criticism. They applaud
or censure according as the thing looks in the eye of the world: when
money is spoken of, they keep discreetly aloof.
In her enterprise to put female emigrants on the road to fortune, Mrs
Chisholm met with some curious cases of presumption. Many applications
were made by young women who professed to be governesses, but were
utterly incompetent for the situation. Among others came one who
offered herself as a nursery governess, who, on inquiry, could neither
read nor write nor spell correctly. Another wished for the situation
of housekeeper, and with her the following dialogue took place:--'"Can
you wash your own clothes?" "Never did such a thing in my life." "Can
you make a dress?" "No." "Cook?" "No." "What _can_ you do?" "Why,
ma'am, I could look after the servants; I could direct them: I should
make an excellent housekeeper." "You are certain?" "Yes, or I would
not say so." "Do you know the quantity of the different ingredients
wanted for a beefsteak-pie of the size of that dish, and a
rice-pudding of the same size?" "O no, ma'am--that's not what I meant:
_I'd see that the servants did it!_" "But there might be great waste,
and you not know it; besides, all, or nearly all, the servants sent to
this colony require teaching."
'Nothing, observes Mrs Chisholm, but my faith in Providence, that
there must be a place fitting for every body in society, enabled me to
bear such inflictions: this faith made me labour in seeking some
suitable employment for each, and had I not possessed it, but turned
them out, their fate would have been inevitable and horrible.'
The business of attending to the 'Home,' and finding places for
everybody, was not without some pleasant excitement. Mrs Chisholm was
sometimes asked to find wives as well as servants; and as a specimen
of applications on this delicate head, she gives the following amusing
epistle, which is printed as she received it:--
'"REVEREND MADAM--I heard you are the best to send to for a servant,
and I heard our police magistrate say, it was best to leave all to
you; and so I'll just do the same, as his honour says it's the best. I
had a wife once, and so she was too good for me by the far, and it was
God's will, ma'am; but I has a child, ma'am, that I wouldn't see a
straw touch for the world; the boy's only four yeare old: and I has a
snug fifty-acre farm and a town 'lotment, and I has no debts in the
world, and one teem and four bullocks; and I'se ten head oh cattle,
and a share on eight hundred sheep, so I as a rite to a desent
servant, that can wash and cook and make the place decant; and I don't
mind what religion she bey, if she is sober and good, only I'se a
Protestant myself; and the boy I have, I promised the mother on her
death-bed should be a Catholic, and I won't, anyhow, have any
interference in this here matter. That I do like in writing nothing
else, I wouldn't, mam, on any account in the world, be bound to marry;
but I don't wish it altogether to be left out. I'll ge her fourteen
wages, and if she don't like me, and I don't like her, I'll pay her
back to Sydney. I want nothing in the world but what is honest, so
make the agrement as you like, and I'll bide by it. I sends you all
the papers, and you'l now I'm a man wot's to be trusted. I sends you
five pounds; she may get wages first, for I know some of the gals, and
the best on um, to, are not heavy we boxes; and supposing anything
should happen, I would not like it to be said she come here in rags. I
wants, also, a man and his wife; he must be willing to learn to
plough, if he don't now how, and do a good fair day's work at
anything; his wife must be a milker, and ha dustrious woman; I'll give
them as much as they can eat and drink of tea and milk, and, whatever
wages you set my name down for, I'll be bound to pay it. With all the
honer in the world, I'se bound to remain your servant till death."
There was something, remarks Mrs Chisholm, in the character of this
honest bushman, during his colonial residence, to admire; he had
gained his freedom, sent home money to his parents, and, during a long
and tedious illness of twenty months, had attended his sick wife with
patient care. Who would not get up an hour earlier to serve such a
man?--I did, for I knew that early in the morning is the _best_ time
to choose a wife. I went first into the governess-room--all asleep; I
unlocked the Home-door--some dressed, others half-dressed, some too
very cross: I have often remarked, that early in the day is the best
time to judge of a woman's temper; but I wish this to be kept a
secret. I remained half an hour in the Home; I then went through the
tents, could not suit myself, and returned. At the Home-door, I found
a girl at the wash-tub; she was at work with spirit; she was rather
good-looking, very neat and tidy. I went into my office, and
ascertained that, on board ship, her character was good. I desired the
matron never to lose sight of her conduct, and report the same to me.
Day after day passed, and I was at last fully determined to place her
within reach of my applicant in the bush--that is, in a respectable
family in his near neighbourhood; but I was able to arrange better,
for I found that, amongst the families wanting situations, there was
one related to her. I immediately engaged them as the bushman's
servants; they were a respectable couple; the man a very prudent
person. I told them to take the girl with them, and get her service
near them, and on no account to allow her to live with a bachelor. I
gave the girl three letters to respectable ladies, and she was engaged
by one the fourth day after her arrival at ----. About a fortnight
after, the bushman wrote to thank me for sending him the married
couple; and concluded by saying: "With regard to that _other_ matter,
upon my word you have suited me exactly; and as soon as our month is
up, we is to be married." I received, says Mrs Chisholm, forty-one
applications of this kind; but the above is the only girl I ever sent
into the country with a _direct_ matrimonial intention.'
That 'Providence has a place for everybody' is an axiom that cannot be
too strongly insisted on. The difficulty, however, is to know where
that place is. It will help considerably to relieve us of trouble on
this score, if we bear in mind that we are not limited in our choice
of country. If every place is filled in this old and settled
territory, by all means go away to new regions which lie invitingly
open for trial. In short, go to America, or go to Australia, and in
either of these find your proper place. There can be no doubt of your
discovering it, provided you but look for it. Great in this faith has
Caroline Chisholm laboured. First, she helped women into situations in
Australia; then she similarly helped men; next, she fell on the
expedient of bringing wives and families to join husbands who longed
for their society; and lastly, she organised plans for sending out
young women to the colony, with a view to balance the inequality of
the sexes. To execute her designs in a proper manner, she required to
know the real wants and condition of settlers; and, will it be
credited, that she set out on long and painful journeys in a covered
spring-van, and did not desist till she had gathered six hundred
biographies!
In 1845, Mrs Chisholm was joined by her husband from India, and she
prepared to return to England. Five years of earnest and successful
endeavour had wonderfully altered the general opinion respecting her
operations. There was no longer any fault-finding. Jealousies had been
overcome. It was now the fashion to speak well of plans that were once
viewed with apathy or suspicion. 'In February 1846, a public meeting
was held at Sydney, for the purpose of taking into consideration the
presenting to Mrs Chisholm, then on the eve of her departure for
England, a testimonial of the estimation in which her labours on
behalf of the emigrant population were viewed by the colonists. Some
idea may be formed of the respect felt for the admirable lady, and
acknowledgment of her public services, when eight members of the
Legislative Council, the mayor of Sydney, the high-sheriff, thirteen
magistrates, and many leading merchants, formed themselves into a
committee to carry the wishes of the meeting into effect. The amount
of each subscription was limited.' In a short time 150 guineas were
raised, and presented with a laudatory address. 'Mrs Chisholm accepted
the testimonial, in order to expend it in further promoting
emigration, in restoring wives to husbands, and children to parents.
In the course of her answer, she said: "It is my intention, if
supported by your co-operation, to attempt more than I have hitherto
performed." She left Australia in 1846, bearing with her the warm
prayers of the working colonists, whose confidence and gratitude, both
bond and free, she had thoroughly secured, charged with the
self-imposed mission of representing in England the claims of those
powerless classes who have neither honour nor pensions to bestow on
their advocates.'
Since 1846, Mrs Chisholm has resided near London, and devoted herself
to the promotion of her last great scheme. This is to send emigrants
to Australia, in what are called Family Groups, under the auspices of
the Family Colonisation Loan Society. The main features of the plan
are these: suitable and well-recommended persons are enrolled as
members on paying a small fee; and they are sent out on paying
two-thirds of the passage-money--the remaining third being paid as a
loan by the society, which loan is to be repaid from wages received in
the colony. No security is required for the loan. The society reckon
on the integrity and gratitude of the emigrants, and on the principle
of associating parties into groups, the members of which exercise a
mutual supervision. A group consists of twelve adults. Friendless
young women are introduced to and grouped with families. These
introductions usually take place at Mrs Chisholm's residence once
every week, when the groups are addressed in a friendly manner, and
furnished with hints for their government on board ship.
Another important feature in these operations, is to help poor
emigrants to remit small sums to friends at home, the difficulty of
making such remittances having formerly been very considerable. To
organise a proper system of remitting, Captain Chisholm has returned
to Australia, and, according to an account given by Mrs Chisholm in a
letter to the _Times_, it appears that the system is realising all
reasonable expectation. We copy the substance of this letter as a
fitting conclusion to our sketch.
'This is the first organised attempt of enabling the English emigrants
in Australia to imitate the generous devotion of the Irish settled in
the United States. While contemplating with admiration the laborious
devotion proved by the remittance of millions sterling from the
American Irish to remove their relations from a land of low wages and
famine, I have always had a firm belief that the English emigrants in
Australia only required the opportunity to imitate the noble example,
and the "remittance-roll" is evidence of the correctness of my
opinion.
'Until very recently, there have been no channels through which the
Australian settler could safely and cheaply remit small sums to
England.
'When I was resident in Sydney, many emigrants were anxious to send
small sums to their friends "at home," and came to me with money for
that purpose; but I found that the banks charged as much for L.15 as
for L.50, and that they altogether declined to take the trouble of
remitting small amounts. On making a representation of this fact to
his excellency Sir George Gipps, he communicated with the banks
through the Colonial Secretary, and they consented to receive small
remittances from labouring people, if I personally accompanied the
depositor; but, with my other engagements, it was impossible for me to
spare many hours in the week to introducing shepherds and stockmen,
with their L.5 or L.10, to the cashiers of the banks. Many a man,
within my knowledge, has gone away on finding that he could not remit
his intended present to his relations, and spent the amount in a
drunken "spree." I therefore determined, that on my return to England,
I would endeavour to organise some plan which should render labourers
remitting their little tributes of affection to their friends nearly
as easy as posting a letter.
'As soon as the Family Colonisation Society was organised, Messrs
Coutts & Co. consented to appoint agents, and receive the remittances
due to the society. But in order to teach and encourage the labouring
colonists to take advantage of the power of remitting to England, my
husband saw that it was necessary that some one devoted to the work
should proceed to the colonies. The society was not rich enough to pay
an agent, or even to pay the expenses of an agent who would work
without salary; therefore we determined to divide our income, and
separate. My husband proceeded to the colony, to collect and remit the
loans of the society's emigrants, and the savings of those emigrants
who wished to be joined by parents, wives, children, brothers,
sisters, or other relations. I remained here to assist such relations
to emigrate in an economical, safe, and decent manner, as well as to
carry on the correspondence needful for discovering the relatives of
long-separated emigrants--often a difficult task. We determined to
work thus until the labourers' remittances should swell to such an
amount as would render it worth the attention of bankers as a matter
of business, if the society were not inclined to continue the trouble
and responsibility.
'I am happy to say, my faith in the generous and honest disposition of
British emigrants, English, Scotch, and Irish, has not been shaken,
and that I may look forward with confidence to a very early date when
the remittance connection of the Australian emigrants will be eagerly
competed for by the most respectable firms.
'My husband writes me, that the people are filled with joy at finding
that they can safely send their earnings, and secure the passage of
their friends. In seven weeks he received L.3000 in gold-dust or cash,
and confidently expects to remit L.15,000 within twelve months, and
could collect double that sum if he were able to visit the diggings.
These remittances are not only from the emigrants sent out by the
society, but from various persons of the humbler class who desire to
be joined by their relations, and wish them to come out under my ship
arrangements.
'It is my intention to return to Australia in the early part of next
year, and there endeavour to still further promote the reunion of
families. I have addressed this letter to your widely-spread and
influential columns, in order to call the attention of the commercial
world to the profits which may be obtained by ministering to a demand
which is arising among a humble class--in order to call the attention
of statesmen and philanthropists to a new element of peace, order, and
civilisation, more powerful than soldiers--to a golden chain of
domestic feeling, which is bridging the seas between England and
Australia. Many parents, wives, children, and brothers and sisters,
have received remittances for passages.'
More need hardly be said. As is generally known, ships are sailing
almost weekly with emigrants of the class for whom Mrs Chisholm has so
warmly interested herself; and we are glad to know from good
authority, that already large sums of the lent money have been repaid,
proving that the trust put in the honesty of the emigrants has not
been misplaced. A great scheme, auxiliary to ordinary emigration, is
therefore at work, and its usefulness is acknowledged, not only by the
press and the public at large, but by parties ordinarily less alive to
projects of social melioration--ministers of the crown. Every one may
well concur in paying honour to Caroline Chisholm!