Thomas John Barnardo (4 July 1845 – 19 September 1905) was an Irish philanthropist and founder and director of homes for destitute children. He was born in Dublin, but studied at the London Hospital, Whitechapel. Soon after his arrival in 1866, a cholera epidemic swept the East End, killing 3,000 people. Many families were left destitute, with thousands of children orphaned and forced to beg or find work in the factories. In 1867, Barnardo set up a Ragged school to provide a basic education but was shown the many children sleeping rough. The first Barnardo's home was founded, in 1870, at 18 Stepney Causeway, London. When a boy died after being turned away (the home was full), the policy was instituted that 'No Destitute Child Ever Refused Admission'.
At the date of Barnardo’s death, nearly 60,000 children had been rescued, trained and placed out in life. The work of Thomas Barnardo is continued today by the British charity Barnardo's. Barnado is buried in Barkingside, in the London Borough of Redbridge.