Female Work and Migration at the End of the Victorian Era: A Study Based on the London Foundling Hospital Archives

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This article is published in a book entitled Working Women, 1800-2017: A Never-Ending (R)Evolution, Edited by Martine Stirling and Delphine Sangu (2021). This book examines how, over the past 300 years or so, women have adapted their work methods, means of subsistence and daily routine to fulfil their dual role as carers and breadwinners.From the industrial revolution, which ended agrarian-based subsistence and meant an exodus towards the cities for many families, to the digital revolution, which redefined the work environment, working hours and even in some cases biological functions, women have succeeded in meeting the challenge of changing work practices, social expectations and economic and family needs.Although women’s work, both past and present, is a much-researched area, this volume sheds new light on the subject by combining the approach of historians, sociologists, and language and culture specialists, and applying it to different countries. Drawing upon original fieldwork and little-known archives, the book will be of interest not only to an academic audience, but to anyone wanting to know more about gender, family, and labour issues across Europe between the 19th and 21st centuries.