Description
Book SynopsisThis book explores the legal and social consequences of growing up illegitimate in England and Wales. Unlike most other studies of illegitimacy, Frost's book concentrates on the late-Victorian period and the early twentieth century, and takes the child's point of view rather than that of the mother or of 'child-saving' groups. Doing so allows for an extended analysis of criminal and civil cases involving illegitimacy, including less-studied aspects such as affiliation suits, the poor law and war pensions. In addition, the book explores the role of blended, extended and adoptive families, the circulation of children through different homes and institutions, and the prejudices children endured in school, work and home.
While showing how the effects of illegitimacy varied both by class and gender, the book highlights the ways in which children showed resilience in surviving the various types of discrimination common in this period. It will appeal to anyone interested in British social history, childhood studies, or legal history.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements
Introduction
1. 'Strangers in the blood': custody, inheritance, and taxation
2. 'The workhouse or death': maternal crimes and illegitimacy
3. Part of the family? Non-maternal carers and the criminal courts
4. Courts of last resort: affiliation and the poor law
5. Simple acts of justice: illegitimacy and law reform
6. Love and loss: family and illegitimacy
7. 'Passed from hand to hand': child circulation
8. 'Bad blood'? Social discrimination
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
