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| The Baby Farmers, by Annie Cossins |
Some time ago I read a book The Baby Farmers by Annie Cossins. It is about Sarah and John Makin
who killed at least 13 babies that they had taken in the early 1890s. The
mothers of these illegitimate babies paid the Makins to take in their child,
but the children died shortly after, either by being murdered, deliberately
starved and neglected, or overdosed on Godfrey's Cordial (a freely available
opiate used to quiet children when they were teething, unwell, or otherwise
unable to sleep). At that time forensics analysis of corpses was not what it is
now, so an exact cause of death could not be determined.
"Baby farming" was, sadly, a wide-spread
occurrence at that time, particularly in Britain. Because of the high rates of
infant mortality at the time these crimes often went undetected, but there were
several high-profile cases in England resulting in the conviction of baby
farmers.
Well, I think I may have discovered another case, possibly a
hitherto unknown one.
One of my clients gave me a pile of their family papers as
part of the research I was doing for them. Amongst them were transcripts of the
birth and death of a baby boy. I am changing the name of all the parties
involved in case I have misinterpreted the case, though dates and places are as
on the original
Albert Thomas Hunter was born on 31 Oct 1885 at Glebe Road.
He was the illegitimate son of Mary Elizabeth Hunter who was aged 19.
Albert died just over two weeks later, on 15 November 1885,
at Commercial Road, West Callan Park, Leichhardt. His cause of death was given
as "Atrophy" (could just as well been called "failure to
thrive") lasting about 3 days. The informant was "Sarah L.S. White,
acting as adopted parent of child, in conjunction with her husband William
White, Commercial Road, West Callan Park, Leichhardt".
The child was buried the next day in Balmain Cemetery, and
the presiding minister was listed as Master Albert William White.
It's a bit suspicious. The child was so young, died of "atrophy", which could be a result of neglect or malnutrition, and it was reported by the "adoptive" parents (who are unlikely to have taken the child out of the goodness of their heart alone).
It's a bit suspicious. The child was so young, died of "atrophy", which could be a result of neglect or malnutrition, and it was reported by the "adoptive" parents (who are unlikely to have taken the child out of the goodness of their heart alone).
Maybe the Whites were innocent, but maybe they were
undiscovered baby farmers.
