Founder of Stirling’s children’s home, Annie Knight Croall 1854 – 1927 is one of the unsung heroines of Scottish history. She was the daughter of the first curator of the Smith Institute and came from Leeds to Stirling at the age of 19. A deeply spiritual person her work for neglected and orphaned children started after she found a baby on the back walk left there by its mother who had gone into town for a drink and had been arrested. In 1870s there was no social provision for children in need and Annie struggled to find the means of housing and sustaining those who were sent to her.
She managed to purchase Whinwell House in 1890 and set up a Dorcas Society whose members sold clothing for children. Many of the children were put into immigration schemes at the age of 14 and sent to Canada and Australia. The Stirling children’s home continued to be run by the board of trustees until 1980 when the responsibilities were transferred to the Aberlour Trust who operated out of 40 Lomond Crescent.
Annie Crail described her life as “50 years on a Scottish battlefield”. She is buried in the Valley cemetery.
There are people who remember the Home dearly and talk about fond memories of having been cared for there. See here for some posts from “Old Stirling” Facebook page about these.
The photograph was gifted by WFT Anderson to the Smith Institute from whose website this article was copied.
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