Children in care system (Victorian era)
Posted: 06 Sep 2021, 20:18
Whilst researching young relatives of my grandmother who'd been briefly put into care, I stumbled across online case histories of late Victorian children. I won't mention the website as some later case files relate to living people.
However, I just wanted to offer this tip: When searching for a young ancestor who's "vanished" from the family home, it's worth considering he/she may have been taken into the care system. Particularly if you know said ancestor came from a troubled or unfortunate family situation.
This might include: poverty, illegitimacy, drunken or abusive family members, disability, abandonment, neglect, foster care, and exposure to prostitution and theft.
And if one does locate a newspaper report mentioning a child being removed from a troubled/unfortunate family situation, chances are the newspaper details will pale in comparison to the actual tragic circumstances (as per the application for care).
One situation I repeatedly saw was children in care being sent from pillar to post around England and occasionally Wales. Transferred from one institution to another, sometimes ending up in domestic service or work in yet another part of the country.
Example: One young girl from London was born in the workhouse, and had been found living with prostitutes. She was also deaf. At age 10 she was put in the care system. From London she was sent to a home for girls in Hertfordshire. Several years later she goes into domestic service. Six months later she's back in London for treatment in various hospitals. A year later she's transferred to a convalescent home in East Sussex for two months. Then she's back in London and put in a home for girls; followed by another lengthy hospital stay. Finally she's placed in a home for girls in west Yorkshire for 18 months. Then she's put back into domestic service, but 7 months later, she's returned to the home for girls. She's only 17. No details given for her from that point on.
Another young girl was put into care, due to her mother taking drugs. Bear in mind this was circa 1885! At age 11, the girl was deemed "unruly" and placed in another home for girls in west Yorkshire. A year later she's sent to a lunatic asylum (age 12), as she was considered a danger to other children. Sadly, no case notes on her after being placed in the lunatic asylum.
Then there are the poor souls in care who don't even make it to adulthood. Some die from TB, others from long-term disability complications. Some older children and teenagers have "exhaustion" for cause of death. And in most instances, these deaths occurred in other parts of the country, due to their in-care or domestic service situation at the time.
So when researching a young ancestor who's done a "disappearing act" do consider the possibility they were in the care system, and may have ended up elsewhere in England or Wales. One thing's for certain: some children in care were like 'moving targets' every few months. And usually between census years. Just to make searching for them even more difficult.
However, I just wanted to offer this tip: When searching for a young ancestor who's "vanished" from the family home, it's worth considering he/she may have been taken into the care system. Particularly if you know said ancestor came from a troubled or unfortunate family situation.
This might include: poverty, illegitimacy, drunken or abusive family members, disability, abandonment, neglect, foster care, and exposure to prostitution and theft.
And if one does locate a newspaper report mentioning a child being removed from a troubled/unfortunate family situation, chances are the newspaper details will pale in comparison to the actual tragic circumstances (as per the application for care).
One situation I repeatedly saw was children in care being sent from pillar to post around England and occasionally Wales. Transferred from one institution to another, sometimes ending up in domestic service or work in yet another part of the country.
Example: One young girl from London was born in the workhouse, and had been found living with prostitutes. She was also deaf. At age 10 she was put in the care system. From London she was sent to a home for girls in Hertfordshire. Several years later she goes into domestic service. Six months later she's back in London for treatment in various hospitals. A year later she's transferred to a convalescent home in East Sussex for two months. Then she's back in London and put in a home for girls; followed by another lengthy hospital stay. Finally she's placed in a home for girls in west Yorkshire for 18 months. Then she's put back into domestic service, but 7 months later, she's returned to the home for girls. She's only 17. No details given for her from that point on.
Another young girl was put into care, due to her mother taking drugs. Bear in mind this was circa 1885! At age 11, the girl was deemed "unruly" and placed in another home for girls in west Yorkshire. A year later she's sent to a lunatic asylum (age 12), as she was considered a danger to other children. Sadly, no case notes on her after being placed in the lunatic asylum.
Then there are the poor souls in care who don't even make it to adulthood. Some die from TB, others from long-term disability complications. Some older children and teenagers have "exhaustion" for cause of death. And in most instances, these deaths occurred in other parts of the country, due to their in-care or domestic service situation at the time.
So when researching a young ancestor who's done a "disappearing act" do consider the possibility they were in the care system, and may have ended up elsewhere in England or Wales. One thing's for certain: some children in care were like 'moving targets' every few months. And usually between census years. Just to make searching for them even more difficult.