Western Mail - Monday 27 February 1899
MRS. BODDINGTON'S CASE
THE COMPLAINT AGAINST AGAINST A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
The workhouse visiting committee in their report submitted to the Cardiff. Guardians on Saturday intimated that a letter had been received from Mrs. Boddington, an inmate, formerly a Roman Catholic, complaining of the conduct of Father Wilfrid Sumner.
The master having stated that Mrs. Boddington did not wish to appear before the committee, and Father Brady having made a statement, the committee believed that Father Sumner acted the part of a Christian gentleman, and that he said nothing which called for notice. That much has already been reported.
The Clerk now read a further letter from Mrs. Boddington, in which she wrote:-
Union Workhouse Hospital, Cardiff.
February 23, 1899
Sir, As I see that a report of a meeting of the Cardiff Guardians is published in the Western Mail of yesterday's date mentioning my name, and containing statements concerning me which are absolutely false, I will ask you to be good enough to send to the same journal for publication my communication to the guardians of February 1 inst., which is there referred to as a 'long, rambling letter,' together with this. It is absolutely false that Father Sumner had ever known me at any previous period, or that I had ever spoken to him before I spoke to him in the ward here. It is also absolutely false that I have written an apology to Father Sumner. If Father Sumner asserts that I have written him an apology, let him produce it. My communication to the guardians of the 1st inst. is itself a direct refutation of the statements contained in the Western Mail report, and explains my reason for writing it. Father Sumner substantially made a charge against a me, in the presence of others, which has already been broadly circulated by a large section of the Catholic clergy, to the effect that I am falsely representing my position. Father Brady's statements as reported in the Western Mail, are, I venture to submit, sufficient evidence of the fact ,which I affirm, that the Roman Catholic clergy for years past have been busy in systematically circulating falsehoods concerning me...
...The Chairman (Mr. O. H. Jones) here intervened, and said the letter was getting libellous.
Several Guardians: We have heard enough.
Mr. Enoch: Plenty
Father Brady: I have the authority, if necessary.
Mr. F. J. Beavan said the whole matter was in a nutshell. Father Sumner went to the woman's bedside at her own request, as she wanted him to take a message or do something; and he said he could not speak to her unless the card on which her religion was entered was altered.
They thought that was very fair and reasonable on the part of Father Sumner. It was a rule that Roman Catholic p riests should not visit Protestants, and vice versa. That being the case, he behaved exactly as any Christian minister would under the circumstances. He observed the rule to the very letter.
The Chairman: Another letter has been handed to me in which practically she does apologise. We have nothing to do with what has appeared in the press.
Clerk: Had I better write and reply that we are not respo sible for what appears in the press?
The Chairman: Certainly.
The matter then dropped.
The rest of Mrs. Boddington's. letter was handed to the press. It was all in the same strain. She said she had formally withdrawn her "obedience" from Rome, and had communicated the fact of her 'secession" to Bishop Hedley.
South Wales Echo - Saturday 15 April 1899
VOLUMINOUS LETTERS TO CARDIFF GUARDIANS.
Mrs Boddington figured once more in the proceedings of Cardiff Guardians this morning, Mr O. H. Jones presiding.
The item on the agenda read:—" Further letter from Mrs Boddington as to her treatment by the medical officer of the Workhouse."
The Clerk stated that there were two letters, one of 27 folios and the other of 30. (Laughter.) The board shrank from laying themselves open to the threatened infliction, and on the motion of the Chairman the letters were referred to the Workhouse Visiting Committee.
South Wales Daily News - Wednesday 3 May 1899
CARDIFF WORKHOUSE.
A CHARGE OF INHUMANITY.
The Visiting Committee of the Cardiff Guardians have appointed a sub-committee of ladies to hold an inquiry into charges made by Mrs Boddington as to the bad treatment received by her from an officer of the Workhouse, simply owing to her solicitude for a fellow inmate.
Mrs Boddington alleged that this inmate had been in such a bad state that her friends had been summoned.
The ailing woman occupied the bed next to Mrs Boddington, who says she heard special milk diet and beef tea being ordered at various times for the patient. The milk given was short of the quantity ordered, and the beef tea was not supplied.
Mrs Boddington says she directed attention to the patient's critical condition, and gave her some of her own food, which was "eaten ravenously."
One of the ward officers also behaved very kindly to the woman, and, "thanks to her and me", the patient is now considerably better.
Another charge was that for two days before the despatch of this letter the patient had not been washed. Mrs Boddington complained that the other woman in charge had "attacked her in words", and asked for an inquiry into the whole matter.
The sub-committee appointed consists of Mrs Andrews, Mrs Thompson, and Miss Rees Jones.
A STRANGE HISTORY.
Mrs Boddington is an elderly woman, whose letters give ample evidence that she has been well educated. It is stated that she is of good family and spent the greater part of her life in the Liverpool district, and that she devoted a fortune of £ 6,000 in founding a sisterhood in connection with the Roman Catholic Church. About three or four years ago she established a nursing institution and home in Cathedral-road.
Western Mail - Wednesday 3 May 1899
MRS. BODDINGTON AND A FELLOW INMATE.
Mrs. Boddington wrote complaining that a ward woman had charged her with causing rows in the workhouse. She (Mrs. Boddington) denied such allegation, and maintained that the only possible foundation for the charge was found in her solicitude for a fellow inmate.
Mrs. Boddington alleged that this inmate had been in such a bad state that her friends had been summoned.
The ailing woman occupied the bed next to Mrs. Boddington, who says she heard special milk diet and beef tea being ordered at various times for the patient. The milk given was not of the quantity ordered, and the beef tea was not supplied.
Mrs. Boddington says she directed attention to the patient's critical condition, and gave her some of her own food, which was "eaten ravenously."
One of the ward officers also behaved very kindly to the woman, and, "thanks to her and me" (added Mrs. Boddington) "the patient is now considerably better."
Another charge was that for two days before the despatch of this letter the patient had not been washed. Mrs. Boddington complained that the other woman in charge had "attacked her in words", and asked for an inquiry into the whole matter.
A sub-committee was appointed, consisting of Mrs. Andrews, Mrs. Thompson, and Miss Rees Jones. to investigate the matter.
Cardiff Times - Saturday 13 May 1899
CARDIFF WORKHOUSE.
Mrs Boddington's Complaints.
At Saturday's meeting of the Cardiff Board of Guardians (Mr F. J. Beavan presiding) a report was read from Mrs Andrews, Miss Rees Jones, and Mrs Thompson, who had been appointed to inquire into the allegations made by Mrs Boddington, an inmate, as to the treatment of another inmate named Wilkins by wardswomen.
The report stated that after seeing the parties concerned and the medical offices the sub-committee were of opinion that no blame attached to the wardswoman for her treatment of Mrs Boddington, and that the implied neglect in the treatment of Mrs Wilkins was not substantiated.
On the motion of the Chairman the report was adopted.
South Wales Echo - Saturday 3 June 1899
CARDIFF WORKHOUSE.
Mrs Boddington Again.
Dr. Sheen submitted a re-port at the request of Mr Greenhalgh the Workhouse master, as to the desirability of Mrs Boddington, an inmate, being sent to the Porthcawl Rest. He did not recommend that she be sent there. The Chairman said they must act on the medical officer's report. This was all the public business.
South Wales Echo - Saturday 16 September 1899
CARDIFF GUARDIANS.
The Relief of Mrs Boddington.
The weekly meeting of the Cardiff Board of Guardians, held this afternoon, was presided over by the vice-chairman (Rev. J. R. Buckley).
A question of the relief of Mrs Boddington came before the board. She was formerly in the House, subsequently she left, and has received 5s. a week out-relief.
The money has now to come from another relief district, and the committee were not unanimous. There was a good deal of discussion upon the question. It was proposed at the outset she should have 4s.
The question of classification was discussed, the argument being that Mrs Boddington having moved in different walks of life could not live on less.
Then the discussion turned on respectability, the contention being that a respectable woman should be granted 5s. where another woman not in the possession of the saine unblemished character would receive 4s. Five shillings was proposed, and on a full vote, in which the names were challenged, 29 voted for 5s. and eight for 4s.
Western Mail - Monday 18 September 1899
CARDIFF GUARDIANS AND MRS. BODINGTON [sic]
The weekly meeting of the Cardiff Board of Guardians was held at the workhouse on Saturday, the Rev. J. R. Buckley (vice-chairman) presiding.
Mr. Price Jones mentioned the case of Mrs. Boddington, formerly a lady moving in good society, who was at one time an inmate of the workhouse, and is now in receipt of 5s. a week out-relief.
When she went to reside in No. 2 District the order was renewed, but the committee were not unanimous. some of the members considering that 5s. a week was excessive, and so the matter came up again before the general board.
Mr. R. Sutherland proposed that the out- relief, be 4s, a week, which was the amount given in other cases equally deserving.
Mr. Llewellyn moved that the amount be 5s. A lady could not move in good society on less than that. (Laughter)
Mr. Alexander asked what had respectability to do with it. The question was what was it right to do.
Mr. Good: I move that she have 5s. a week, because she is a widow - not because she has moved in good society. That would have no effect upon me.
Alderman Carey: It would not. (Laughter.)
Mr. F. J. Beavan thought the board should do nothing that might tend to drive the poor woman into the house again.
The Chairman was also influenced by the fact that the lady had moved in good society, although she had given them a good deal of trouble. He did not think they should give less than 5s.
Mr. Hall hoped that when he next brought up from his district a case equally deserving - of a woman with five or six children, or, perhaps, none - the board would show the same sympathy.
On a division the cries of "Aye" for 5s. distinctly overwhelmed the counter-cries of the advocates of 4s.
However, Mr. Sutherland called for names, amid cries of "Oh, oh."
Twenty-nine were for 5s., and the following eight for 4s.: - General Lee, Messrs. W. Evans, D. T. Alexander, Edward Thomas, R. Sutherland, T. Cram, E. J. Cross, and L. E. Treharne.
South Wales Daily News - Tuesday 19 September 1899
MRS BODDINGTON AGAIN.
At Cardiff Police Court on Monday Mrs Boddington, whose sad case has so frequently of late demanded the attention of Cardiff Union officials, made an application to Messrs Spencer, J. B. Ferrier, and Ald Carey and asked for advice upon a legal question in which she was concerned.
She said that she was a ward in Chancery, and that affidavits had been filed by the guardians in her case, and she wished to know what steps she ought to take to prove the will in question. She said she had written to the Registrar, but had had no satisfactory reply.
The Bench said that they could not advise her, and referred her to a solicitor.
Applicant: I have no means.
Mr Spencer: We are sorry for you, but this is not the right Court.
Applicant: Which is the right Court, then?
The police requested applicant to stand down, but Mr J. B. Ferrier interposing said: If we can help her I think we should.
The Clerk: We cannot.
Mr Ferrier Why?
After some consultation the Bench said they could not assist her, at which applicant appeared very indignant, and said that it was very hard for her to walk about the town and have to be regarded as being insane.
Applicant again appealed to the Bench for opportunity to prove that she was not insane.
Ultimately applicant was removed by the police from the witness-box and left the court.
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