WORSE THAN ORPHANS, EXETER, 1845

 An appeal, dated March 20th, 1845 and published for a while in all the Exeter Papers but here specifically in The Western Times of 5th April 1845 under the title: TO THE CHARITABLE AND HUMANE.  A CASE OF GREAT DISTRESS, reads as follows:

"The bereaved Children of Mr. J. C. DUSOIR, late a Schoolmaster, of New Buildings, Gandy-street, Exeter,  (a Girl 14, and a Boy 10 years of age) have suddenly been deprived of both their Parents and a Home!

"Their FATHER, (who is thought to be in France,) left his dying wife and helpless OFFSPRING without resources, or any means of subsistance whatever.  The Children have been genteely brought up, and are now, by the death of their Mother, utterly destitute.

"Under such distressing circumstances this Appeal is made to the sympathy of the benevolent in their behalf, for the means of supplyimg the immediate necessities of these worse than ORPHANS, and to provide for placing them out in life."

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Joseph Charles Dusoir seems to have been a thoroughly bad character.  He had been living in Exeter for at least eleven years.  In 1834 he gave evidence in the case brought by Mr. Abraham, a gentleman who had been assaulted at the Agricultural Dinner.  To my mind the manner in which he addressed the court on that occasion defines him as a smooth-speaking, cherry-lipped poisoner.  He lied (this is my opinion) at every opportunity in order to undermine Mr. Abraham's case and to ingratiate himself with the magistrates.  At that time he was described as the Conductor of a Select Boarding School at 1, St. David's Hill.  At the time of his deserting his dying wife and his children he was working as a schoolmaster the New Buildings, 1, Gandy St.  Presumably he did not leave empty-handed.

The Western Times published this:  The man who has absconded is the same who, at the dinner of the Oddfellows Society, spoke so feelingly of Oddfellowship producing good husbands, good fathers and good members of society. 

He was thought to have travelled to France but, whether he did so or not, he was very soon employed in London by a bank from which he stole a very large amount in money and bills and was thought to have fled to France yet again.  Amazingly, according to The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 30th December 1848, he already had another wife and more children whom he abandoned!   

The Exeter Appeal initially raised  £82 which was deemed unsufficient money for the purpose,  A second appeal was made.  Citizens were very generous,  Their  names appeared in the newspapers. In a city where there were homeless orphans in every corner, the fate of the two Dusoir children struck a chord.  It was, perhaps, the fact that they had been genteely brought up that raised the money.  The Victorians fully accepted that one should treat equals equally and unequals unequally. 

The daughter, Maria Harriet Dusoir, died of consumption aged 17.  By then she had attained a situation as a governess and according to her death notices was an amiable young lady who was highly esteemed and deservedly regretted.

I hope the little boy fared better.