For Their Maintenance and Education: An Analysis of Children Entering Christ's Hospital, London, 1763-1803

Abstract

Since 1552, Christ's Hospital has operated within Great Britain in order to educate and mold children from poor, disadvantaged families into productive members of society. While the school has a rich history that warrants examination in itself, this study is concerned with Christ's Hospital in the eighteenth century and the children that lived and learned there. Unlike previous scholarship about the school, this study provides new insight into how Christ's Hospital operated during the eighteenth century. By examining presentation petitions set forth to Christ's Hospital between the years 1763 and 1803, it is possible to gain a better understanding of what type of children were entering the school and where they were coming from throughout this time period. Furthermore, the school's Children's Register provides information about what happened to each child upon his or her departure from Christ's Hospital. Together, these documents illustrate that the school was not merely an insular, isolated institution within the City of London, but instead served as a hub by taking in children from within Great Britain and sending them out across the globe.