BARNARDO, THOMAS JOHN English philanthropist, and founder and director of homes for destitute children, was born at Dublin, Ireland. His father was of Spanish origin, his mother being an Englishwoman. He studied medicine at the London hospital, and later at Paris and Edinburgh. His medical work in the east end of London during the epidemic of cholera in 1865 so impressed him with the great numbers of homeless and destitute children in the cities of England that he gave up his early ambition of foreign missionary labour, and began what was to prove his life's work. The first of the "Dr. Barnardo's Homes" was opened in 1867 in Stepney Causeway, London, where are still the headquarters of the institution. From that time the work steadily increased until, at the time of the founder's death, there were established 112 district "Homes," besides mission branches, throughout Great Britain. The object for which these institutions were started was to search for and to receive waifs and strays, to feed, clothe, educate, and, where possible, to give an industrial training suitable to each child. In 1872 was founded the girls' village home at Barking Lide with its own church where Barnardo himself was buried and in 1901, through the generosity of E. H. Watts, a naval school was started at North Elmham, near Norwich, to which boys are drafted from the homes to be trained for the navy and the mercantile marine. Perhaps the most useful of all the varied work instituted by Barnardo is the emigration system and the fact that in Canada less than 2% of the many thousands of chil dren sent out proved failures confirmed Barnardo's conviction that "if the children of the slums can be removed from their sur roundings early enough, and can be kept sufficiently long under training, heredity counts for little, environment for almost every thing." In 1899 the various institutions and organizations were legally incorporated under the title of "The National Association for the reclamation of Destitute Waif Children," but the insti tution has always been familiarly known as "Dr. Barnardo's Homes." Barnardo laid great stress on the religious teaching of the children under his care. Each child is brought up under the influence and teaching of the denomination of the parents, but the children of Jewish and Roman Catholic parentage are, where possible, handed over to the care of the Jewish Board of Guard ians in London, and to Roman Catholic institutions, respectively. From the foundation of the homes in 1867 to the date of Barn ardo's death, nearly 6o,000 children had been rescued, trained and placed out in life. Barnardo died of angina pectoris in London, and was succeeded by Dr. William Baker, formerly the chairman of the council. Barnardo was the author of many books dealing with the charitable work to which he devoted his life.
His biography (1907) was written by his wife (the daughter of William Elmslie) and J. Marchant. The periodicals and leaflets describing the activities of the homes are published at the central office of the Charity at Stepney Causeway.