Baby Farmers: "The practice of baby farming grew up in late Victorian times when there was great social stigma attached to having a child out of wedlock. Proper adoption agencies and social services didn't exist in the 1890's so an informal, untrained group of women offered fostering and adoption services to unmarried mothers who would hand over their baby plus, say, ten pounds in cash (quite a large sum of money then) to them in the hope that the child would be re-homed.
Most of the babies were, in one way or another. It is probable that some were sold to childless couples and others fostered/adopted for a few pounds. Unmarried mothers were often desperate, so answered the adverts placed in newspapers by seemingly reputable people. Getting rid of a child in this way had obvious advantages to the mother - it was simple, quick and legal with few questions asked. If the baby farmer moved on the baby's mother was often too frightened or ashamed to tell the police so it was very easy for unscrupulous women to kill off unwanted or hard to foster (sell?) babies.
The mothers had few real alternatives. Abortion was illegal and the back street abortions that were carried out were a very high risk alternative, sometimes resulting in severe haemorrhaging or even the death of the women or prosecution and imprisonment if she was found out. Abandonment was similarly illegal and little sympathy was extended by the courts to women who abandoned their children in those days. Murdering of unwanted children by their mothers typically resulted in the death penalty in Victorian Britain"
Bastardy and Baby Farming in Victorian England: "A many years ago
When I was young and charming
As some of you may know
I practiced baby-farming.
-- Buttercup "
Prior to the 19th century, the Poor Law of 1733 stipulated that the putative father was responsible for the maintenance of his illegitimate child. If he failed to support the child, the mother could have him arrested on a justice's warrant and put in prison until he agreed to do so.
my thanks to Stan Mapstone in Birtol_and_Somerset RootsWeb goup
Most of the babies were, in one way or another. It is probable that some were sold to childless couples and others fostered/adopted for a few pounds. Unmarried mothers were often desperate, so answered the adverts placed in newspapers by seemingly reputable people. Getting rid of a child in this way had obvious advantages to the mother - it was simple, quick and legal with few questions asked. If the baby farmer moved on the baby's mother was often too frightened or ashamed to tell the police so it was very easy for unscrupulous women to kill off unwanted or hard to foster (sell?) babies.
The mothers had few real alternatives. Abortion was illegal and the back street abortions that were carried out were a very high risk alternative, sometimes resulting in severe haemorrhaging or even the death of the women or prosecution and imprisonment if she was found out. Abandonment was similarly illegal and little sympathy was extended by the courts to women who abandoned their children in those days. Murdering of unwanted children by their mothers typically resulted in the death penalty in Victorian Britain"
Bastardy and Baby Farming in Victorian England: "A many years ago
When I was young and charming
As some of you may know
I practiced baby-farming.
-- Buttercup "
Prior to the 19th century, the Poor Law of 1733 stipulated that the putative father was responsible for the maintenance of his illegitimate child. If he failed to support the child, the mother could have him arrested on a justice's warrant and put in prison until he agreed to do so.
my thanks to Stan Mapstone in Birtol_and_Somerset RootsWeb goup
posted by Hugh W at 12:01 pm
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