Christ's Hospital: Family and Children in Early Modern London

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23531015
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educaion
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: NONOMURA Toshiko 九州大学, 人間・環境学研究科(研究院), 教授 (70301330)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: クライスト・ホスピタル / 貧困児救済 / 近世イギリス / 孤児院 / 家族 / 子ども

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to make clear the bio-politics about children in Early Modern England, and focus on Christ’s Hospital, London established in 1552. Christ’s Hospital was the oldest orphanage in England, and we can access the material of the early days.
Child-saving by Christ’s Hospital was one of the wholesale confinement of vagabonds and beggars. At the same time, it was the beginning of the social interest to the life, health, and well-being of the poor children. Although about half children were dead, but many people and public organization, such as city, church, royalty, trade guilds, and so on, cooperated the foundation and the works of Christ’s Hospital. We can many parent(s), who left their children to Christ’s Hospital. Is seems as if there were no difference between the orphanage and the nursery. And from our modern eyes, it was strange that there were only slight difference between true parents and foster parents. We have to research more detail and the backgrounds.

Free Research Field

教育史