Mothers, Sisters, Guardians and Fathers

Abstract

Providing support for other family members who were dependants of the men at the front had been given little thought by the Empire’s Patriotic Fund when it was established. Elderly parents and mothers, especially widowed mothers, had received passing attention. Siblings, guardians and widowed mothers whose dead sons had been their main source of support were not part of the fund’s public discourse. The fund therefore had no general policy when it came to applications from siblings, guardians or widowed mothers whose dead sons had been their main source of support, yet they did apply for assistance. The fund followed London’s practice of considering each case on its merits, with mixed results.