You can find it at www.victorianturkishbath.org/_6DIRECTORY/... It is hoped to start adding articles again more regularly in the near future. 🗃️ #C19th

You can read more in my post over on The Antique Ring Boutique's blog and have a lovely look at some of the most exquisite vintage engagement rings whilst you're there❤️❤️❤️
www.antiqueringboutique.com
#victorianmarriage #victorianrings #victorianmarriageproposals #victorian #victorianstyle #19thC

The one which gets me the most is the 'ale' token, taken from a bottle of ale and handed over with the child. I think it speaks volumes about the mother's circumstances at the time.

#victorianhistory #history #19thcentury #socialcarehistory #howthevictorianslived #foundlinghospital

When mothers left their children behind, they left a token as an identifier sho0uld they be able to reclaim their child later on. The wall of tokens in the museum is incredibly poignant as they are ones belonging to children who were never reclaimed.

It took Thomas 17 years of walking to the houses of influential people to garner their support to obtain a Royal Charter and the necessary funds to set up the hospital to care for abandoned babies. Many were worried that by providing care for the children, they were endorsing an immoral lifestyle.

The Foundling Hospital, the brainchild of Thomas Coram, was pioneering in its time. Coram was horrified by the amount of infants left to perish on London's streets because the mother had been abandoned by her lover or family.

But the hidden gem is the lovely Bird Keeper's Cottage, built in 1841 to house a keeper to regulate and protect the collection of birds in the park. Designed in the Cottage Orne style of the Romantic movement, it is a tiny Swiss gingerbread house with the very best bee house and garden around ❤️

... but was turned into a Tudor playground by Henry VIII who fenced it off to the public and filled it with deer. The park regularly held jousts, fairs and festivals. King James I added to the fun by establishing a collection of exotic birds along what is now known as Birdcage Walk.

#19thC

😂A beautifully understated word

Despite the sexism, which was part and parcel of Victorian culture, it's significant that this advice book is aimed at single women, not wives and mothers. It goes without saying that there was still more to do, but this book shows us how far the rights of women had evolved by the end of the era.

Thank you! And let me know what you think 🙂