Wednesday, 25 March 1741 – Doors open for the first time at 8pm, at temporary building in Hatton Garden. The governors met at 7pm before the doors were opened, and already a crowd had gathered following their advertisements. At the allotted time, the lights were extinguished and the porter admitted people with children until 30 were taken in; two had been refused – one for being too old and one for having the itch. At 12 midnight the porter was ordered to close the door.
October 1742 – Applications for admission increased to such a degree that there were frequently about a hundred women with babies present, where only twenty could be taken in. There were unruly scenes and women fighting and scrambling to be first at the door. The lottery system was therefore devised. The women would enter the room; those with boys to one side and those with girls to the other. The number of balls added to a bag or box depended on the number of children to be admitted and the number of people present. One by one the women would be asked to pick a ball – white meant subject to a medical examination, the child would be admitted – the woman was led to another room. A black ball meant you would leave the building. A red ball meant that you had a second chance at a further lottery if any of the other children were excluded because of illness or age.
1 June 1756 – with £10,000 from the government, the period of indiscriminate admission began. Originally a basket was placed on the gate, the person with the child would ring the bell and the porter would collect the baby and hand it to a nurse. Later the basket appears to have been removed and those with children were brought into the porter’s lodge, the child examined to check they were not above the specified age limit (which changed over time) and then left.
1 July 1756 – parents donating £100, could leave children up the age of two years. (First child so admitted was 3 November 1756, and until 1 March 1771 seventeen children in total admitted with donation of £100).
25 March 1760 – general reception admission stopped – last child admitted baptized Kitty Finnis.
May 1760 – A few soldiers’ orphans admitted following the battle of Minden, at the request of Lord Barrington, Secretary of War. Following Napoleonic Wars and the Battle of Waterloo similar children were admitted, plus those war orphans where they had no settlement, having been born abroad.
1760 to 1770 - children admitted on petition, if space available and case deemed worthy.
July 1767 – children from some local parishes were admitted on payment by the parishes.
10 January 1770 – agreed to take children in following petition and ballot, when space allowed.
From 1801 – mostly children who were illegitimate (and mother could prove of good character and able to reform), were admitted. In addition orphans of soldiers/sailors were admitted. In January 1801 it was agreed that the policy of admitting children on donation of £100 would be finished.
1955 to present day – institutional care finished, but children and families cared for by Coram (previously The Thomas Coram Foundation, then Coram Family).
NB: There are always exceptions to these rules – some children left at the gate after general admission finished were sent to parish workhouse, but one child left at the Houses of Parliament was taken in at the government’s request.
18th century observations:
“The expressions of grief of the women whose children could not be admitted were scarcely more observable than those of some of the women who parted with their children”
“Some of the women after having delivered their children, returned and begged for them again, which could not be granted, being contrary to the rules of the house.”
Questions asked to petitioners:
Where were you born?
What was the occupation of your parents?
At what age did you leave your parents for service?
How long did you remain in any one service?
Is this your first child?
When did you first see the father of the child?
Where did you then reside, and with whom?
Where did the father of your child then reside?
In what manner did your acquaintance with him commence?
How soon after your acquaintance did he pay you particular attention?
Where did you reside when you were seduced and what led to your seduction?
Was the criminal intercourse repeated?
When did you first find yourself pregnant?
Did you inform the father of your pregnancy and what was his answer?
Where are you delivered and by whom?
How have you supported yourself since?
What enquiries have you made after the father and the result?
Should you be relieved of your child what do you intend to do?
Who will give you a character?
When did you first hear of this hospital?
Is your child healthy is it a child of colour - or has it any particular marks?