Unexplored Riches in Medical History | Behind-The-Scenes at The Children's Society

Some behind-the-scenes snapshots of the Unexplored Riches in Medical History project at The Children's Society Records and Archive Centre. These photographs represent some of the 30,000 children's case files that are being catalogued and indexed. Many include telegrams, medical reports, personal letters and application forms from the late 19th and early 20th Century.

Watch this short film to find out more about The Children's Society archive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGeDtaBeXYo

Sisterhood, Family and World War One: The Children's Society

Image: http://www.delsjourney.com/images/news/news_01-12-10/1-8804-Swang-Children.jpg

As an anthropologist one question particularly steadfast question about humanity is family. What does family mean? Why do we have them? Often, why do we put up with them? In my past two weeks at The Children's Society I have been particularly struck by family and siblings relationships, particularly in relation to the First World War. Family is a delicate topic in relation to adoption, fostering and charities such as The Society. Often notable for it's absence in case files, families can be estranged or in some cases pull together at times of grief or war. 

Maud's father died serving in the British Navy during World War One, on HMS Research in 1918. He left behind eight children and a wife in an 'asylum'. Far from being one of the heart-wrenching case files, Maud's is cheerier as her siblings rallied round to help each other after their father's death. In a touching and rare hand-written correspondence Maud's sister Clara writes to her when she is convalescing following influenza: "you can come and live with me until you get strong". She says: "I can look after you and be a mother to you". 

Another wartime child, Violet, lost her father as a soldier in the War. Estranged from her family, she emigrated to Canada when she turned eighteen. This was an eventful time as she was hit by a car and fractured several bones. Becoming pregnant whilst in Canada relatives sent for her to come back to England, where she was pronounced "immoral", before subsequently giving birth, the child dying 5 hours after birth. Reflecting thoughtfully in a letter, Violet said she had learnt a lesson!

About the Unexplored Riches in Medical History project:
http://www.hiddenlives.org.uk/unexplored_riches/about.html

The Unexplored Riches blog: 

http://chilsoc-blog.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/category/unexplored_riches

My other blog: 

http://cupcakesandcosmeticsbyclare.blogspot.co.uk

Adoption and My Granpa

My maternal granpa Peter Wright was born in Wandsworth in 1922. His mum apparently pregnant 'out-of-wedlock', he was born in the house of Dorothy Cooper, who later adopted him. They moved to Sussex where the family included a stream of fostered and adopted children, and where he lived for the rest of his life. In the 1911 census his mum (my maternal great-grandmother) Clara Wright (14), is living with her parents William (37) and Clara (37), brothers Frank (9) and Frederick (3), and sister Ida (7). The family were poor and lived in South London; the census shows that Clara gave birth to 2 children who later died.  Her father was a bricklayer and possibly Jewish. The area where Clara's family lived, and where my grandfather was born, is now high-rise flats.