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Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Dot Palmer, foster mother, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre.

Born in Cattedown, Plymouth, Dot was one of 10 children. She married a man who became an NSPCC inspector after being invalided out of the Royal Navy.

When her own children were grown up, Dot adopted three unwanted babies and went on to foster hundreds and hundreds more. She is described as "a lady who has lived her life in poverty and yet, in terms of human happiness, has given away and is still giving away a fortune."

programme details...

• Edition No: 248
• Subject No: 248
• Broadcast date: Thu 5 Mar 1964
• Broadcast time: 8.50-9.15pm
• Recorded: Mon 2 Mar 1964 8.00pm
• Venue: BBC Television Theatre
• Series: 9
• Edition: 22

on the guest list...

• Jenny Palmer
• Jack Train
• Jack Jewell - brother
• Vic Palmer – husband
• George Palmer
• Doris Jessep
• Jean Palmer – daughter
• Colin Palmer – son
• Jacqueline & Josie
• Mr & Mrs Oluyombo Akoni
• Garry – grandson
• Michael Davis

production team...

• Directors: Michael Goodwin, Mark Patterson
• Producer: Vere Lorrimer
• Executive Producer: T Leslie Jackson

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

• with thanks to Jacky Palmer and Joanne Santillo for their contribution to this page

A Charitable Life

the unsung heroes

Jack Train

Photographs of Dot Palmer This Is Your Life

Unknown source and date

Famous foster mum Dot dies

A Plymouth housewife, whose love for children was so great that Eamonn Andrews made her nationally famous by inviting her to appear on This Is Your Life, has died.

Mrs Dot Palmer, who was 77 and lived at Cornwoody Close, Ham, sold her life story to a national magazine after appearing on the programme in 1964 – and then spent most of the £1000 she was paid on children.

Born in Cattedown, she was one of 10 children and became a waitress. She married a Navy man who became a Chief Petty Officer. When he was invalided out, he became an NSPCC inspector at £4 a week.

There was little money to spend at their modest home in Wordsworth Road, Camel’s Head, where they brought up two sons and a daughter.

But in the words of Eamonn Andrews, Dot Palmer was “a lady who has lived her life in poverty and yet, in terms of human happiness, has given away and is still giving away a fortune.”

When her own children were grown up, Dot adopted three unwanted babies and went on to foster hundreds and hundreds more. When she became too old to be a foster mother, she gave a home to foreign students and became their friend.

One of her adopted daughters, Miss Jacky Palmer, said: “Everybody who knew her loved her. She was the kindest, most generous and loving woman I have ever known.”

Mrs Palmer’s funeral will be at Weston Mill tomorrow morning. She is survived by her three children and three adopted daughters, and her second huband, George, who was a city council worker and, like her first husband, Vic, gave her unswerving support.