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4. The baby was 3 weeks old, the seventh child, fat and
breast fed. The father was a porter. The mother was a
charwoman. Both were out of work. The family was being
supported by the eldest son, a carman, who earned 12s. a week.
5. The baby was 9 weeks old. The mother was in bed
because there was no fire, no coal, no coke, no wood, and no
food. She said " bed was the best place because there was
nothing to get up for." She was given a ticket for free-dinners.
The father did odd jobs and earned 7s. a week, of which 3s. 6d.
went for rent.
6. The family occupied 2 rooms, and consisted of the parents,
girls 15, 11, 9, 4, boys 13, 8, and the baby 11 months. The
mother was out all day at work. All the children were excluded
from school for scabbed heads and sore faces. The father had
done no work for 4 years, and had frequently been in and out
of prison during that period. He now railed at the country for
not finding him work, and " thought he had better go back to
prison." The whole family was supported by the earnings of
the mother and eldest daughter.
7. The baby was the fifth child. Four were alive, the eldest
had been burnt to death. The father was an organ-grinder and
was led out in the evenings by the mother to public-houses. He
played outside and was then taken by the mother into the " public
bars " to get alms. The mother was taking in washing for
neighbours 13 days after her confinement, and doing her household
work.
8. The father was an errand boy and earned 10s. per week.
The mother was a feather mounter at 7s. per week. The baby
was the first child and breast fed. The parents married 9 weeks
before the birth of the child and moved into Finsbury so that
the mother might have the students to attend to her during her
confinement without payment.
9. The father was a French polisher out of work. The
mother was a bookfolder, dirty and untidy. She said she did not
get enough food to breast-feed the baby.