One job I had in the past was to work with others across government to look at the causes of homelessness and try to come up with solutions. For a while I think we had some success but some problems never really go away and the case of Peter Bishop illustrates that there is nothing new under the sun.[1]’The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.’ … Continue reading
I remember being surprised at the disproportionate number of ex-service people to be found among the homeless. We discussed the causes of that. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been shocked, making the transition from a job involving strict discipline with, possibly, periods of intense adrenaline rush, to a life with neither order nor excitement, is bound to be difficult. It isn’t just those who have served in the Forces who experience this, professional footballers, to cite just one example, face similar issues, but perhaps military service is an extreme case.
In the 19th century much of the support that might be available today to those leaving the Forces simply didn’t exist. True, if you were lucky, you might get a pension or even a place in the hospital at Greenwich (Navy) or Chelsea (Army) but not everyone was lucky. Peter Bishop, who served at the Battle of Waterloo, was one of the unlucky ones. Peter Bishop also happened to be Black in an overwhelmingly White society. You can read about him in John Ellis’ latest article for Historycal Roots:
While I’m here, I really should mention a lovely little update to another of John’s articles. It’s always great when a descendant spots a story on Historycal Roots about a relative and makes contact, sometimes they are able to add additional information. Since writing his article about Roy Van Twest, John has been in contact with Roy’s grandson and we have added an ‘afterword’ to the original piece:
References
| ↑1 | ’The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.’ Ecclesiastes, 1:9 (King James Bible version); even more appropriate, perhaps, is the New Living Version of the same passage ‘History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.’ |
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