A History of Adoption in England and Wales 1850- 1961

Adoption is one of the most emotive and complex subjects in social and family history. Gill Rossini's social history of adoption between 1850 and 1961 uncovers the perspectives of all those concerned in adoption: children, birth relatives, adoptive families, and all the agencies and organisations involved. Rossini charts the transformation of the adoption process from a chaotic informal arrangement to a legal procedure. Set against the backdrop of the moral, cultural, and legal climate of the ti