Grief, Mourning and Motherhood: Cultural experiences of child and infant deaths across different social classes in the Victorian period.

Abstract

Death was a considerably more prominent part of life in Victorian England, across all social classes, particularly the deaths of infants and children. 1 in 4 children died before the age of 5 consistently throughout the Victorian period. The Victorian fascination with death has been explored extensively by historians, especially the etiquette and social requirements of mourning within the middle and upper classes, and in turn the working classes' attempts to reach these requirements. However, up until recently, many historians have often failed to examine the ways in which Victorian death culture functioned as an expression of grief and emotion. The history of emotion, a relatively new approach within historiography, encourages historians to explore contemporary emotions, without superimposing modern concepts of feelings. This thesis uses this approach to compare and examine the ways in which middle-class and working-class families, particularly mothers, expressed grief when faced with the loss of infants and children. While there is no clear-cut line between the middle and working classes, the cultural identities of both social classes present clear differences in experiencing and expressing grief. However, neither social class were any less bereaved, or unable to feel grief over the loss of children. Their deaths were felt deeply, and the actions taken to memorialise their children were reflective of strong emotional bonds, despite the known high possibilities of death.