Alison Clark ~ Dr Graham’s Homes

Alison's Story

“One Sunday in 1954, the church minister told us about a place in India called Dr Graham’s Homes and how it cared for poor and orphaned children. Alison listened intently…”

Born and bred in Partick, Scotland, Alison Clark (pictured here) first heard about Dr Graham’s Homes as a teenager. She was immediately captivated. A few years later, after graduating as a nursery nurse, she spotted a job advert in Life and Work magazine and decided to apply. Within months, she was off to the Himalayas to work in the Lucia King Nursery. Alison would go on to spend most of the 1960s at the Homes, caring for the babies and infants who were brought there for a new start in life. (One of them was Lolly Raphael (pictured below), who you can read about here.)

After Alison passed away in 2024, her family found a box of slides among her possessions. They included some wonderful photographs of Dr Graham’s Homes as it was 60 years ago. Here, Alison’s younger brother Ian tells us the story of her journey to the Homes and why she dedicated so much of her life and career to it.

The girl from Partick

On 26 October 1939, Jim and Mabel Clark welcomed their first child into the world. They were blessed with a little girl, who they named Alison. Alison was joined by two brothers in 1943 and 1947 – Gregor and Ian – to complete the family. The family lived in a flat in the Partick district of the west end of Glasgow. When Jim returned from National Service in Calcutta (now Kolkata), he was appointed manager of John Smith and Sons (AKA The University Book Shop), which supplied textbooks to university students and members of the medical profession across the city. Mabel had worked as a shop girl in a large clothing store but stopped working when Alison was born.

An inspiring sermon

In 1950, Rev Henry Charles (Harry) Whitley, previously the minister at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, became the minister at Partick Parish church. During his tenure at Edinburgh, Harry had amassed many contacts in the churches around the world. One Sunday in 1954, he announced that the congregation’s monies collected during the service that day would be donated to Dr Graham’s Homes in Kalimpong, India. He also gave the congregation a brief description of the Homes, the staff there, and of course the poor and orphaned children who stayed at the Homes. Alison listened intently.

A nudge from Billy Graham

In 1955, Rev Billy Graham (no relation to Dr Graham!) announced plans for a rally in Glasgow, near where the Clark family stayed. Billy Graham was one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century. He preached live sermons, filling stadiums and other massive venues around the world. Alison asked her parents if she could attend the rally. Jim and Mabel immediately agreed, and they all joined the large audience to hear him preach. At the end of his sermon, Graham invited members of the audience to come to the front of the stage, where he would deliver a special “personal” blessing. Alison joined the large group who went forward. This was the point in her life when Alison’s religious beliefs were affirmed.

A mission to Kalimpong

During this time, Alison had been studying to become a nursery nurse. When she successfully graduated, everyone was delighted. Alison worked in a couple of nurseries in the west end of Glasgow, but Kalimpong remained at the back of her mind. Since 1880, the Church of Scotland had published a monthly magazine called Life and Work (a journal that Dr Graham himself once worked on). There was always a copy in the Clark household each month. In the late 1950s, Alison spotted an article in Life and Work about the Homes. The result was that she decided to follow up; she soon found herself attending the Homes’ Edinburgh office for a job interview. Alison was to become “housemother” at the school’s kindergarten, Lucia King Cottage. Needless to say, everyone in the Clark family was absolutely thrilled for her.

Tears and farewells

The Edinburgh office coordinated all the paperwork Alison would require and made all her transport arrangements. I remember being on Platform 1 of Glasgow Central Station late one night when Alison boarded the late-night train to London. The guard eventually blew his whistle and Alison was off on the first leg of her journey to India. Needless to say, tears were shed all round. But the family knew it was what she wanted.

Life at the nursery

The cottages at Dr Graham’s Homes were allocated on a same-sex basis. So all the children in the Lucia King Cottage were girls. Some were as young as a month old when they came to the Homes. They were children from very poor backgrounds, destitute or in very poor health. Alison’s official title at DGH was “Aunty”. The male equivalents were referred to as “Uncle”. Aunty Alison often referred to her residents as her “tinies”. Alison was solely responsible for making sure everything ran smoothly, and that the girls were comfortable, well fed and were happy. The girls enjoyed a whole host of daily activities, and celebrated birthdays and traditional Indian festivals. The cottages were also used as a training ground for young nursery nurses.

A decade at the Homes

Alison’s first term at Kalimpong lasted from 1961 through 1965. She returned to the Homes in 1966 to serve a second term, before returning home to Scotland in 1969/1970. On completion of her second term, she was very sad to leave. At home, Alison shared with the family her many experiences gained throughout her time in the Homes. She also gave talks to members of the church congregation. Alison remained in touch with her staff at the Homes. She also kept in touch with other staff who were back home in Scotland, most notably Betty Tully, who lives in Edinburgh. Another member of Homes staff Alison kept in contact with is Daphne Skinner, who married an Indian Army Officer and emigrated to Australia.

Why were the Homes so special to Alison? Alison’s brother Ian explains…

“Alison’s motivation for going to India was, first and foremost, her Christian faith. The Homes enabled my sister to fulfil a long-held dream of working with children and improving their lives by preparing them for their graduation from nursery to primary school. The Homes also allowed her to assist young local girls to achieve their dreams of becoming nursery nurses.

“I think Alison would like her time at the Homes to be remembered for her hard work and dedication to her “tinies” and the young Indian girls she helped to become qualified nursery nurses.”

Click here to see more photos from Alison’s photo archive: Caring for orphans in the 1960s (blog)

Alison Clark