Arthur Whetstone was born in 1881, part of a very large family that we’d call ‘blended’ today: his widowed mother Elizabeth had children by a former husband, and took on the daughters of her new husband, Arthur’s father. Their story was one of making ends meet with various jobs, including working in the Chatteris mat factory. Arthur is recorded as a mat maker in 1901, aged 20. By 1911 however, the factory had closed, and Arthur, still living with his mother according to the census, had no occupation. This is the first time he is described as ‘a dwarf’ – while he could be recorded as a working man, census takers had not commented on his condition. His mother died in 1918, and in 1921 he lived alone, still not working and incapacitated. By 1939 he was an inmate in the Doddington poor law institution, and he died the following year. The impact of losing his job, combined with the fact his mother and extended group of siblings either died, moved away or were confronting their own health challenges, left Arthur isolated and vulnerable. Entering the poor law institution was a last resort, securing him at least a decent funeral.
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