Group    From 8/7/1915  To 1919

Silver Thimble Fund

Categories: Benefactor

Miss {Elizabeth} H. E. Hope-Clarke of Wimbledon, inspired by her own damaged silver thimble, started collecting damaged or unwanted thimbles and other trinkets to contribute to the war effort. She launched the appeal in The Times newspaper in 1915. Undamaged items were sold, others were melted down.

Your Local Guardian tells the story: "Miss Hope-Clarke and her sister were soon joined by Lady Maud Wilbraham and a staff of volunteers. Some 60,000 thimbles were rapidly converted into two ambulances as vast quantities of trinkets arrived at the Hope-Clarkes’ Wimbledon house {2 Church Road}, which remained the fund’s headquarters for nearly the entire period of the war."

Queen Alexandra, the King's mother, became the patron of the fund which went international, to the colonies and beyond. Closed down at the end of the Great War, the charity was re-established in WW2.

Our picture shows one of the ambulances bought by the fund.

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Silver Thimble Fund

Creations i

Thimble shelters - north

The navy has been referred to as "Britain's sure shield" since, at least, Tra...

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Thimble shelters - south

{On the panel, facing the Palace:} Erected by "The Silver Thimble Fund", 1919...

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Other Subjects

Dr John Waggett

Dr John Waggett

At Elsevier Ruth Richardson writes:"That year {1882}, Dr John Waggett MD FRCS (1818–1909) decided to donate funds sufficient to erect a drinking fountain on the crest of London’s Notting Hill. Dr W...

Person, Benefactor, Medicine

1 memorial
Emily Bessie Orbell

Emily Bessie Orbell

Second child of 12. Parents John and Catherine Orbell of Brundon Mill, Ballingdon, Suffolk. The family emigrated to New Zealand in 1849 but Emily later returned alone to England. She died at Lower ...

Person, Benefactor, New Zealand

2 memorials
Thomas Bowman Stephenson

Thomas Bowman Stephenson

Wesleyan minister and benefactor. Born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He entered the Wesleyan ministry in 1860. In 1869 he founded the Children's Home (now known as the charity Action for Children) to pro...

Person, Benefactor, Children, Religion

1 memorial
Lionel Barnett

Lionel Barnett

When we first listed these memorials in 2014 we could find no information about "Mrs" but the Encyclopaedia Judaica listed a Lionel Barnett that could be our Lionel and Wikipedia adds some details:...

Person, Benefactor, Museums / Libraries

1 memorial