By Museum of the Broads
Location: East AngliaSource Description: Mardling from Coast to BroadSource Author: Various Norfolk school schildren, directed by Media Projects East, with help from The Museum of the Broads and Poppyline EducationEdition Statement: Publication Statement: http://www.mediaprojectseast.co.uk/mardling/Date of Original: Date of Collection: Copyright: Media Projects East
The Baby Farmer
Video content for the above
This short animation was inspired by tales of how during the nineteenth century unwanted babies would be taken by train to often unscrupulous intermediaries known as baby farmers. They would then pay to find the child a new home. Does this tale have a happy ending?
Down on Buttercup Farm things weren’t always as happy as they first appeared.
Young Mary-Ann worked very hard as a servant and a farmhand.
One day she found out she was pregnant. There was no way Mary-Ann could keep her baby and continue to work.
The farmer took Mary-Ann away from prying eyes. The farmer saw an advert in the paper, and so he sent for the baby farmer.
She bought the baby for £2.
Baby farming was a vile Victorian practice. Babies were sold or baby farmers were paid to remove unwanted infants.