Charity work

The Society for the Encouragement of Tender and Moral Motherly Care | The Skara Association for the Protection of Women |

Working for charity, i.e. helping people in distress or unfortunate circumstances, has a long history, and has always been open for women with time and money to spare for this kind of activity. In the course of the 19th century, private charity work became more organised. Local societies emerged and a great number of women’s associations became involved in humanitarian aid activities. They were all based on the presumption that it was the responsibility of better-off people to help those who were less fortunate. Poverty and distress might be reduced by voluntary financial contributions and private initiatives. It was emphasized that contributors were personally responsible, municipal or public interference should not be needed.

At the end of the 19th century there was an increase of social problems, primarily in the towns and cities. Criticism against philanthropic societies increased as well, chiefly from the labour movement, which expressed the opinion that charity was degrading to the recipients and that the government ought to shoulder greater responsibility in these matters. Moreover, all of this took place around the turn of the twentieth century when many new laws relating to social issues were enacted.

There is a well-known satirical description of some “välgörenhetsfruntimmer” [‘charity women’] in Strindberg’s "Röda rummet" [‘The Red Room’], chapter
I Vita Bergen.

Sällskapet för uppmuntran av öm och sedlig modersvård [Society for the encouragement of tender and moral mother care]

The society was founded by the Crown Princess Josefina in Stockholm in 1827. A branch was founded in Gothenburg in 1849. The society was born when an appeal was spread out among the city’s “better-off ladies”. The appeal was signed by the county governor’s wife, Laura Fåhreus, and expressed concern for the state of immorality in society, and for effects of the recently accepted poor relief statute.

From the start there were 111 members but already after two years this number had doubled. The active members were women. Men could be members but it seems that their contribution was solely financial. Directorial tasks were assigned to well-established and wealthy people from the higher strata of society. The annual fee was five Swedish crowns, which remained unchanged up to 1900. Unmarried women were welcome to work as “assistants”. Their mission was to visit families who lived on the dole, and they were exempted from paying the member fee.

Activities were focused on the rearing and training of women, helping them to achieve proper feminine conduct. Primarily, it was the “workhouse”, whose purpose was to provide needy women with work and wage that completed this goal as a kind of self-help assistance. The women produced merchandise, to be sold in special rooms on a regular basis as well as in annual bazaars. The manufacture took place in women’s homes so that they were at the same time able to stay at home, practising “tender and moral mother care” of their children. Together with gifts and donations it was the income from this sale that financed the activities. The society still exists, at present acting through church welfare workers.

A selection of documents that were issued by the society’s Gothenburg branch can be read here in full text:
Ändamål och stadgar 1849, avskrift.(Aims and statutes 1849, transcript.)
Ledamöter och avgifter 1852, de första 40 namnen. (Members and fees 1852, the first 40 names.)
Stadgar antagna vid allmänt sammanträde af sällskapets ledamöter den 20 Mars 1877, tryckta. (Statutes adopted at the general meeting of the members of the society, 20 March 1877, in print.)
Sällskapets Direktion År 1895 (t.o.m. 1904) (the Directorate of the Society in the Year 1895) (until and including 1904)
Manus till 50-årsberättelsen, oktober 1899, av Anna Andréen m.fl.(Manuscript of the 50th annual report, October 1899, by Anna Andréen et al.)
Några anteckningar ... utgifna med anledning af Sällskapets femtioåriga tillvaro. Göteborg, 1914. (Some Notes … published on the occasion of the Society’s Fiftieth Anniversary. Gothenburg, 1914.)
80-årsberättelse, 1849-1929. (Eightieth Annual Report, 1849-1929)
Till Doktorinnan Swea von Sydow på högtidsdagen 7/11 1931. (To Mrs Swea von Sydow on her day of celebration, 7/11 1931)
Sextio ömma och sedliga damer, Dagens Nyheter 26 januari 1965. (Sixty tender and moral ladies, Dagens Nyheter 26 January 1965.)

Records
Protokoll d:13 December 1851 (Minutes, 13 December 1851)
Protokoll d. 5 mars 1932 (Minutes, 5 March 1932)
Protokoll d. 14 Mars 1953 (Minutes, 14 March 1953)

Accounts
Revisionsberättelse för år 1851 (Audit Report for the year 1851)
Årsberättelse för år 1932, kassaförvaltare Fru Julia Reuterskiöld. (Annual Report for the year 1932, Mrs Julia Reuterskiöld, treasurer.)
Årsberättelse för år 1945, kassaförvaltare Fru Karin Schéle. (Annual Report for the year 1945, Mrs Karin Schéle, treasurer.)
Revisionsberättelse 1917 (Audit Report 1917)
Årsberättelse för år 1953, kassaförvaltare Karin Schéle. (Annual Report for the year 1953, Mrs Karin Schéle, treasurer)
Revisionsberättelse 1954 (Audit Report for the year 1954)
Göteborgs Bank, obligationer 1944 (Göteborgs Bank, bonds 1944)
Göteborgs Bank, 1948 (Göteborgs Bank, 1948)
Göteborgs Bank, obligationer 1948 (Göteborgs Bank, bonds 1948)
Göteborgs Bank, 1954 (Göteborgs Bank, 1954)
Arbetslöner december 1920 och sammandrag för året (Wages December 1920 and summary of the year)
Arbetslöner december 1933 och sammandrag för året (Wages December 1933 and summary of the year)
Arbetslöner december 1940 och sammandrag för året (Wages December 1940 and summary of the year)
Försålda kläder 1915, januari-mars (Clothes sold 1915, January-March)
Försålda kläder 1953, sammandragning (Clothes sold 1953, summary)
Donationsfonden. donationer och större gåfvor, tilldelade Föreningen för Uppmuntran af Öm och Sedlig modersvård, 1857-1934. (Donations fund. Donations and larger gifts conferred on the Society for the Encouragement of Tender and Moral Motherly Care, 1857-1934.)
Anders Carlsons testamente 9 juli 1861. (Anders Carlson’s Last Will and Testament, 9 July 1861)
Till Styrelsen... 16 Mars 1905, angående Aug. Röhss testamente. (To the Board … 16 March 1905, concerning Aug. Röhss’ Last Will and Testament)
Änkefru Mathilda Bolmeers testamente, upprättadt 11 mars 1909. (The Last Will and Testament of the widow Mathilda Bolmeer, signed 11 March 1909)
Fru Louise Magnus Donation af den 12 februari 1912. (Mrs Louise Magnus’ Donation, 12 February 1912)

Advertisements and the like
Höstförsäljning 1949, annonser ur Morgonposten, Handelstidningen och Göteborgs-Posten. (Autumn Sale 1949, advertisements from Morgonposten, Handelstidningen and Göteborgs-Posten.)
Höstförsäljning 1951, annonser ur Aftonposten, Göteborgs-Posten, Handelstidningen. (Autumn Sale 1951, advertisements from Aftonposten, Handelstidningen and Göteborgs-Posten)
Realisation 1952, annonser ur Aftonposten, Göteborgs-Posten, Handelstidningen. (Sale 1952, advertisements from Aftonposten, Göteborgs-Posten, Handelstidningen.)
Vita rockar för läkare, tandläkare, sjuksköterskor, apotekspersonal etc... (White coats) for doctors, dentists, nurses, chemists’ staff etc... )

The Skara women’s society for protection

Skara fruntimmers skyddsförening [The Skara women’s society for protection] was founded in 1867. The first paragraph of the statutes proclaims: “The society’s aim is to do its best to contribute to the protection of the town’s poor people, women, and children in need, and prevent begging”. To achieve this goal, poor children had their food in wealthy families. Needlework, produced by poor women was also sold so that these women might have their own income.

The society was active for a period of twelve years. Records show that, normally, meetings were held at the court-house. Members were, apart from madams, misses and damsels, also the wives of a lecturer and a dean. A man, Mr. C.G. Andersson was the society’s treasurer, and, at times, even the dean visited the meetings.

The society for protection held its last meeting at the dean’s residence on 18 March, 1879. As it was found “impossible to consider any continuation of the proper activity”, the decision was made to close down the society. Available means, 315 Swedish crowns, were given to the orphanage “on condition that they were used to the purchasing of a site or a house or for building”.

Documents of the society in full text:
Stadgar för Fruntimmers-skyddföreningen i Skara, 1867. (Statutes of The Skara Association for the Protection of Women, 1867.)
Berättelse om Skyddsföreningens i Skara verksamhet från den 1 Sept 1869 till s.d. 1870.(Report on activities of The Skara Association for the Protection of Women from 1 Sept 1869 until 1 Sept 1870)
Protokoll från 20 juni 1867 till 1 oktober 1867, 4 st. (Minutes from 20 June 1867 until 1 October 1867, 4 items.)
Protokoll 29 november 1867. (Minutes 29 November 1867)
Protokoll från 30 januari till 31 oktober 1868, 6 st. (Minutes from 30 January until 31 October 1868, 6 items.)
Protokoll från 17 mars 1869 till 18 mars 1879, 12 st. (Minutes from 17 March 1869 until 18 March 1879, 12 items.)