In Georgian England, pregnancy without marriage was a catastrophe for mother and child. The general view was that threats of disgrace and destitution were necessary to keep women in check. Thomas Coram, a man out of his time if ever there was one, thought differently. 

Handel, Hogarth and, eventually, the cream of Georgian society came to support his view that ‘anyone should in duty, do any good they can.’ Coram’s long campaign to save children culminated in the establishment of the Foundling Hospital, which opened its doors in 1741. Today the Foundling Hospital is known as Coram. Its pioneering work continues, in the spirit of its founder, in fighting for better chances for every child.

In this talk, we shall see how across three hundred years, much has changed in the way we view and look after children – but then again, there is quite a lot that hasn’t.

About the Speaker

Carol Harris is an historian and author. She is the social historian at Coram and a volunteer at the Imperial War Museum. Her books cover topics she finds interesting – including the lives of women, the two world  wars, and the history of fashion. She give talks and leads history walks, appears on television and radio, and, along with her husband and fellow historian Mike Brown, runs the Crofton Park History project.

More about Coram

Coram is a children’s charity, originally established as the Foundling Hospital in 1739 by a kindly sea captain, Thomas Coram, who was moved by the number of abandoned babies left to perish by their impoverished mainly single mothers. He created the UK’s first dedicated children’s charity based in Bloomsbury, which is still going today. The charity champions children's rights and well-being, and offers a wide range of specialist services supporting hundreds of thousands of children, young people and families every year.

Coram’s large heritage collection is now housed in the Foundling Museum, Brunswick Square. Carol Harris is the historian for Coram and has a wealth of fascinating stories to share with us about the charity from its early days to the present.