Conversation so far:
Did Joseph Carey Merrick's first job involve deformities?
He found work rolling cigars in a factory.
Did Joseph Carey Merrick work at a factory rolling cigarettes long?
After three years, his right hand deformity had worsened and he no longer had the dexterity required for the job.
What was Joseph Carey Merrick's second job after rolling cigarettes?
His father secured him a hawker's licence which enabled him to earn money selling items from the haberdashery shop, door to door.
What did Joseph Carey Merrick do with limited speaking skills as a hawker?
Housewives refused to open doors for him and now people not only stared at him but followed him out of curiosity.
Was Joseph Carey Merrick fired from hawking?
Merrick failed to make enough money as a hawker to support himself. On returning home one day in 1877, he was severely beaten by his father.

Question: Did he need assistance? What he do after this?
Self-contained rewrite: Did Joseph Carey Merrick need assistance after being beaten? What did Joseph Carey Merrick do after leaving home for good?