Childhood and Death in Victorian England

By Sarah Seaton

In this fascinating book, the reader is taken on a journey of real life accounts of Victorian children, how they lived, worked, played and ultimately died. Many of these stories have remained hidden for over 100 years. They are now unearthed to reveal the hardship and cruel conditions experienced by many youngsters, such as a traveling fair child, an apprentice at sea and a trapper. The lives of the children of prostitutes, servant girls, debutantes and married women all intermingle, unified by one common factor - death.

Drawing on actual instances of Infanticide and baby farming the reader is taken into a world of unmarried mothers, whose shame at being pregnant drove them to carry out horrendous crimes yet walk free from court, without consequence. For others, they were not so lucky.

The Victorian children in this publication lived in the rapidly changing world of the Industrial Revolution. With the introduction of the New Poor Law in 1834 the future for some pauper children changed - but not for the better. Studies have also unearthed a religious sect known as the 'Peculiar People' and gives an insight into their beliefs.

This book is not recommended for those easily offended as it does contain graphic descriptions of some child murders, although not intended to glorify the tragedies, they were necessary to inform the reader of the horrific extent that some killers went to.

This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the social history of the Victorian period.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1473877024
• ISBN13: 9781473877023
• Release Date: August 2017
• Publisher: Pen and Sword History
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Childhood was hard in Victorian England

CHILDHOOD AND DEATH IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND by Sarah Seaton There were lots of ways for children to die in Victorian England. Accidents, murder, sickness, work, poorhouse, workhouse, infirmary, mining, factories, and lots of other ways. It appears that no one cared much at all for children under age 18 in that time period. Children probably were a "dime a dozen" since everyone had multiple children and there were always 5 more children to step up to take the place of a dead child. There was always an inquest held at a local place of lodging, but the deaths were frequently filed as accidental deaths. It is good that there are more regulations regarding child labor, poorhouses, and workhouses in this century. Invariably a great deal of corruption occurred involving children, Many thanks to #netgalley for the complimentary copy of #childhoodanddeathinvictorianengland I was under no obligation to post a review.