Left But Not Forgotten: The Children of the Foundling Hospital at Chester
Monday 18 May 2026
4-5.00pm
Online (Zoom)
Until now, the extraordinary and moving story of the young children who came to the Chester branch of London’s Foundling Hospital in the eighteenth century has somehow been overlooked.
Prize-winning author, Dr Anthony Annakin-Smith, will talk about his research into the lives of the 306 children who were cared for in Chester and the surrounding villages, from birth and admission, through periods of nursing and apprenticeship, to what happened after they left.
This is the first book to look in detail at one of the Foundling Hospital’s branches but it is not simply about the development and operation of the branch itself. Importantly, it also explores the lives of the 306 children who went there before, during and after their admission to the Foundling Hospital. Anthony will explain how, through extensive research, he has sought to piece together details of the children’s lives from birth and admission, through periods of nursing and apprenticeship and even, in many cases, into later life.
Anthony also explores the extent to which the varied experiences of the Cheshire children were representative of, or differed from, those of thousands of others who were cared for by the Foundling Hospital.
For an introduction to this part of Coram’s history, do read Anthony’s article published in 2023 on the Coram Story website.
We are looking forward to the publication of Anthony’s book this month and hope you can join us for this event.
About Dr Anthony Annakin-Smith
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Dr Anthony lives in Cheshire and is a well-known researcher, writer and speaker on the county’s history. His interests include social, maritime, industrial and landscape history. His PhD comprised a study of the social and industrial history of little-known collieries on the Wirral peninsula and he was awarded the Association of Industrial Archaeology’s Dissertation Prize in 2023 for his book ‘The Early Neston Collieries: An Industrial Revolution in Rural Cheshire’, published by the University of Chester Press. He has appeared on BBC TV and radio in connection with his research.
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Join us
Book your free place at the talk via TicketTailor using the link below.
We look forward to seeing you there.