CHAPTER XXXIV
SOCIOLOGICAL MOVEMENTS
I
CARE OF THE AGED, FOUNDLINGS AND INFANTS
GREY NUNS—PROTESTANT ORPHAN ASYLUM—SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE—THE CHOLERA EPIDEMIC OF 1832—L’ASILE DE MONTREAL—MONTREAL LADIES BENEVOLENT SOCIETY—THE SHIP FEVER OF 1847—ST. PATRICK’S ORPHANAGE—HERVEY INSTITUTE—PROTESTANT INFANTS’ HOME—PROTESTANT INDUSTRIAL ROOMS—MONTREAL DAY NURSERY—L’ASSISTANCE PUBLIQUE—OTHER INSTITUTIONS.
A city’s life is not fully told unless the record of its charitable, philanthropic and sociological progress is at least indicated. That of Montreal will be found to be full, inspiring and satisfactory. The following record is a study of movements and origins rather. It is not a directory. Nor is it in any way meant to be a comparative appreciation of the work done by the various societies or institutions mentioned. Its scope is historical. Innumerable obstacles stand in the way of the preparation of such a chapter as that now offered, but it should nevertheless be attempted if only to gather together as many as possible of the early links of the many excellent social works of the city and to bind them to those larger ones which have been forged by the present day busy workers who in their active present are working busily and wholeheartedly for the growing needs of the hour and have not, through one cause or another, the historical means of surveying the early humble beginnings of works with which they or others have linked their names and their self-sacrificing endeavours.
The first pioneer social movements of Montreal under British rule were those embracing the care of the aged and that of foundlings and abandoned children. These were found together under one roof but in different departments in the Hôpital Général of the “Grey Nuns” or the “Sisters of Charity” according to their official title. At the time of the capitulation the above, with the Hôtel Dieu, founded on May 17, 1642, since the early days of the colony, sufficed for the charitable needs of the small community; for although the “Congregation” established in 1657 by Marguerite Bourgeoys, had cared for many orphans and thus in some sense might be said to have been the forerunner of the modern orphanages of the city and had shared in other social experiments, its work must be considered to have become specifically educational. Again although the Hôtel Dieu also still maintained, as it did until recent years, a number of aged persons and orphans, its special function had been mostly exercised as a hospital for the sick. Its history having been already told, that of the Grey Nunnery is now in place as the peculiar pioneering institution for the aged, orphans and general charity under British rule.
THE GREY NUNS