Chaplin's childhood was fraught with poverty and hardship, making his eventual trajectory "the most dramatic of all the rags to riches stories ever told" according to his authorised biographer David Robinson. Chaplin's early years were spent with his mother and brother Sydney in the London district of Kennington. Hannah had no means of income, other than occasional nursing and dressmaking, and Chaplin Sr. provided no financial support. As the situation deteriorated, Chaplin was sent to Lambeth Workhouse when he was seven years old. The council housed him at the Central London District School for paupers, which Chaplin remembered as "a forlorn existence". He was briefly reunited with his mother 18 months later, but Hannah was forced to readmit her family to the workhouse in July 1898. The boys were promptly sent to Norwood Schools, another institution for destitute children.
Chaplin's childhood was fraught with poverty and hardship making his eventual trajectory "the most dramatic of all the rags to riches stories ever told" according to his authorised biographer David Robinson Chaplin's early years were spent with his mother and brother Sydney in the London district of Kennington Hannah had no means of income other than occasional nursing and dressmaking and Chaplin Sr provided no financial support As the situation deteriorated Chaplin was sent to Lambeth Workhouse when he was seven years old The council housed him at the Central London District School for paupers which Chaplin remembered as "a forlorn existence" He was briefly reunited with his mother 18 months later but Hannah was forced to readmit her family to the workhouse in July 1898 The boys were promptly sent to Norwood Schools another institution for destitute children