Ten Years in a Portsmouth Slum

Ten Years in a Portsmouth Slum is a fascinating social history by Robert Dolling, a missionary priest who was based in the bustling and industrialized English port city from 1885 to 1895.


We hear of neighborhoods characterized by abject poverty, the large community of sailors, and the challenges faced by the author in elevating the locality of Landport from its neglect and plight. Victories were hard-won, yet Dolling managed to establish school classes, a gymnasium, and even allowed homeless locals to sleep in his home. The author constructs a fascinating portrait of Portsmouth life with anecdotes and evocative description.


A talented community organizer, Dolling would author many letters to his bishop and local officials, raising awareness of the impoverished circumstances his parishioners lived in. Although condescending and even haughty in his assertiveness, it is clear that Dolling did much to alleviate the horrific circumstances Portsmouth's poor lived in. When Dolling departed his post in 1895, the entire city praised his accomplishments.


Robert Dolling's legacy lives on to this day in the form of St. Agatha's church. Its extensive renovation took years of tireless fundraising; a chapter in this book highlights the thrift necessary to accomplish such a project, even including a balance sheet. As a social history, this text records many achievements both civic and religious.