Good business: charity, capitalism, and the moral economy of the Watercress and Flower Girls’ Mission, London 1866-1914

This dissertation is a history of the evangelical philanthropic institution, The Watercress and Flower Girls’ Mission, which links flower-sellers, artificial flower- makers, and disabled women to the growth of modern fundraising. It raises questions about women’s changing economic roles, and the struggle of people with disabilities to find work and independence in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With its visionary leader John Groom at its helm (from 1866 until 1919), the London-based mission promoted the idea of beauty and meaning through work; the importance of craft; and the value of a redistributive economy rooted in social justice. At the same time, it held on to its foundational beliefs in personal salvation through faith, and a strict separation between masculine and “womanly” work. Somewhat surprisingly, given the Protestant-based ideology at its base, the notion of “grace through good works” remained an essential pillar. Good works and faith, however, were not enough to stem the constant tide of institutionalized poverty and economic and social inequality against which it battled; the mission could only continue as long as it was financially sound. Groom believed the solution to the problem lay in monetizing the goods and services produced by the women in new and innovative ways. Groom’s mission, and the way in which he melded business and charity, offers new insights into the good business of selling benevolence. The work he undertook in the mission, with the help of field missionary women and paid staff, was ambitious and wide-ranging. From homes for orphans, to workshops for women with disabilities, to savings-and-loan schemes, to free summer beach holidays for city children, all of these projects required organization, determination, and drive. With Groom as its guiding force, the mission became a complex social welfare agency and advocacy group with an extensive reach into the community of flower women and their children that touched on their lives through many phases. The institution continued into the twentieth century.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Yvette Florio Lan