This young boy was entrusted to Barnardo’s when he was just three years old. This poignant photo was taken upon his arrival in 1885.
Arnold was born in the beautiful mountains of Switzerland to Julie, a kitchen maid. His father rejected him and left his mother. Perhaps this is why, as an adult, Arnold chose not to use his father’s name, Thilibert.
He lived in Vaud, Switzerland, close enough for his mother to visit him. Though it’s not clear how Arnold ended up in London, his mother signed a full agreement, placing him in Barnardo’s care in October 1885, when he was only three.
His admission record described him as a “most engaging little fellow… who prattles very prettily in a peculiar Swiss patois.”
In 1886, at age four, Arnold was placed with Reverend and Mrs. Darling. He stayed with them until 1893, then moved in with the vicar’s gardener and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Whyard, for five years.
Reverend Darling, the vicar of Eyke, came from modest beginnings in Northumberland. Thanks to the support of a generous patron, he attended Trinity College, Dublin, and was inspired to help other children from humble backgrounds. Records from Eyke village school—where the Reverend and his wife taught—note that they took in about 100 Barnardo’s children along with local paupers.
Arnold left Barnardo’s in 1898 to work at the Hotel Belgravia on London’s prestigious Victoria Street, before migrating to British Columbia, Canada, in 1902 with the help of an assisted passage scheme.
Arnold supported Barnardo’s throughout his life, grateful for the 13 years he spent in their care—including seven years in the lovely hamlet of Eyke, on the Suffolk Coast.
He passed away on 18 September 1963, generously leaving Barnardo’s $21,000 in his will—worth around £134,000 in today’s terms.