Tuesday Trivia | Widows and Orphans

[u/caffarelli]

Previous weeks' Tuesday Trivias and the complete upcoming schedule.

Today’s trivia theme comes to us from /u/Reactionaryhistorian!

The original question as submitted was asking specifically about the welfare of widows and orphans of soldiers, but I’d like to open it up a bit more. Who are some remarkable people who were widows or orphans, or alternately, please tell us about care and welfare of widows and orphans in your favorite time and place. So nice simple theme today.

Next week on Tuesday Trivia: Cross-dressing, alternate expressions of gender, or other examples of people challenging, denying, or changing established sex roles. Should be a good one!

[u/colevintage]

One of my favorite stories of orphans is the Foundling Hospital in London. They not only have a great story of existence from the early 18th century, but they now have a museum and traveling exhibit called Threads of Feeling.

Opened in 1741, they didn't always have record of who the parents were. This was particularly difficult from 1756-60 when they opened up to accept older children and allowed completely anonymous drop-offs. Their solution is a boon for historians, however. Knowing that some parents come back to collect their children they kept careful track of what the children were wearing at the time they were left. If possible, a swatch or "token" was also given to the parent to match later. A token was attached to a page in a book along with other defining information and kept by the hospital. Today there are numerous books full of fabric swatches from the mid-18th century. Surprisingly, some are very fine fabrics. Others are sentimental with embroidered names or notes.

The children who survived to their teenage years were given apprenticeships and a new opportunity in life.