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Mother
Sarah Wells was the dominant figure in the Wells family and was constantly making her family conform to the rules of Victorian society. She worked as a housemaid in a large estate called Up Park for more than 13 years even after she became nearly deaf. Herbert George Wells, her youngest son, described her as a follower that was always obedient to her master and that she was overwhelmed with the responsibility of running her own household. Sarah Wells was very concerned with the social image that her family created and desperately wanted them to look presentable. This compulsion is what caused her to forbid her children to play with others and to take off their jackets revealing their poorly-stitched clothing. Sarah Wells believed, whole heartedly, in an all-powerful god. It was this god that she tried to make her children believe in but for the most part it was rejected, particularly by young H. G. Wells.
Father
Joseph Wells was a gardener, a Cricket player, and a small time shop keeper that had little idea on how to actually run his business. He was several years younger than his wife Sarah Wells and was generally an irresponsible figure. Joseph Wells would often leave his shop unattended without a care to run off and carry on with friends. In 1880, Joseph Wells broke his leg, thrusting his family deeper into poverty. This caused Sarah Wells to go back to work at Up Park and for his eldest son Frank Wells to begin working. Eventually Joseph Wells filed for bankruptcy and then used some money that Sarah Wells had set aside to buy a small cottage near Up Park to live in by himself.
Copyright 2000 Roman Allemann