Book - The Baby Laundry for Unmarried Mothers

[MBrennan]

This came up on 'recommended' on Amazon. It sounds like the convent  where Joan in 'The Sugar Girls' was sent to have her baby. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Baby-Laundry-Unmarried-Mothers/dp/1849834903/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

It looks like a good book anyway. Not Newham-specific, but I'm sure Newham had its fair-share of girls sent there.

[Duncan_Barrett]

I can't wait to read this - it sounds fascinating.  Although from what I've heard the nuns in this one were a lot meaner than the ones Joan went to stay with.  (Although it was obviously a very hard time in her life, she described them as being very kind, and said she actually quite enjoyed staying there and making new friends!)  It sounds like a fascinating story, anyway.

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

   Hi Mark & Duncan B.,
   I do not knowof this book, but I am sure it has been on T V  in film form or at least a similar story.

   The way those girls were treated in that Laundry and soppose Home made me weep.

   Then at the end thier dear Babies were taken away by uncaring monsters that were supposed to be of a religious order???

   Have seen this same film several times and always thought it to be of Irish origin, although I am sure the same
   went on here.

   When discharged I hope thier Scars were able to heal over many years?

   Louise.

[MBrennan]

Hi Louise,

I think there was a similar thing on TV recently set in Ireland where the 'sinners' were treated like dirt. I remember reading in Victorian times, some women were commited to asylums for getting pregnant 'out of wedlock' - a farce really as we all know a lot of the 'gentlemen' in that period had double standards where that kind of thing was concerned.

Mark

PS - I know this this was only pushed to the top by a spammer posting (since deleted by admin) - in this case I will forgive them as I had forgotten about this book. I will see if the library can order it - along with "over the border - the other east end" book 

[jplant1]

Its rather shocking that this kind of treatment of pregnant girls survived as long as it did, and that so-called religious were such active participants in it. In my family there is a similar story, but from very much earlier, where an illegitimate child was taken into "care" by nuns in East London and her mother allowed very rare visits. At age 10 she was moved to Southampton, making maternal visits almost impossible, where she had to work in the laundry for a few years before being shipped off to the USA. The dividing line between religion and sadism is a very narrow and blurred one, even today Or perhaps more today than before, now we know so much about sexual abuse of children by the religious.

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

jplant1
How I agree with your post 100%

And it is such a pity people are only just waking up to these dreadful happenings but will it all be brushed under the carpet as usual.
Espescially when any big names begin to appear.  These we are told of lately are just the "Tiddlers" in the pond.

How many of us sent our children off to the Sunday Schools and Church Clubs etc., with pennies in hand for the poor or African's Water Supply?? thinking they were being taught good things?

Thank goodness my Daughter attended such places that I (knew the organisers and helpers well) even so it  makes
you wonder. 

Louise

[JOHNL]

I think the most harrowing book I have read on this subject is one called"empty cradles"I didnt realise that these laundries were still running until at least 1970!!