The hidden story of Mary Ann Cooper and Isaac Dibben: a tale of love, loyalty and endurance in the face of Victorian scandal and the workhouse
The Baby Born in an Asylum?
Category: Poverty, Hardship & Resilience
Poor Cottages in the Wilderness
John Coolidge (1604–1691) left Cambridgeshire in 1630 to help establish the Puritan settlement of Watertown in early colonial Massachusetts
“Present at the Death”
Charlotte Mayhew (c1816–1899): a silenced life recovered through the records
The Good Mother
Leah Ellen Mayo (1847–1927) a young widow, navigated poverty, prejudice, and impossible choices - then reinvented herself to keep her family together
What’s in a name
Julia Lane? (c.1840–1925): Illiterate but resilient, she rose from famine-era Ireland to hardship in London, through her inner strength and determination
The Law According to Mary Elizabeth Blundell
Mary Elizabeth Blundell (née Johnson) (1822-1880): A life of struggle and defiance in Victorian society underscores her resilience and resourcefulness
Poverty, Place, and Childhood on Hayling Island
Catherine Dibben (1850–1934) early family life in a hardworking yet impoverished rural community, where illness and loss were ever present
Smokes, skies, and simple pleasures
Charlie Mayhew (1902-1969) one man's quest to escape the mundane confines of a working-class life
A snakes and ladders life
William Mayhew (1882-1918): Against the odds, a disadvantaged Englishman embarks on a journey to secure a better future for his family in the US
Destiny and duty
Emma Levens (1873-1908) a story of love, marriage and motherhood in urban nineteenth century London
