The London Foundling Hospital: Risk, Reputation and Trust in an Eighteenth-Century Institution

The patrons of England’s only eighteenth-century Foundling Hospital took a huge risk when they established their institution in 1739, particularly because for the first ten years of its existence they had no way of proving its aims and objectives could be met. Not only did it need significant financial support but also required social capital, particularly through appropriate networks, to build and maintain itself as a novel philanthropic venture. By finding new ways of building its reputation through culture, administrative transparency and empirical practices, it had by 1820 both survived several major challenges and was seen by many as a patriotic and reputable institution. This was despite a continuing concern by others that its policy of maintaining and educating so called ‘unwanted’ children would encourage immorality.

Using the institution’s own extensive archives alongside contemporary newspapers, journals and images, room inventories and the many documents produced by the Foundling Hospital, this thesis will show that this was achieved not only by careful management and planning by its male Governors, but also by having efficient and effective (mostly female) staff. It can also be shown how the institution was able to balance the requirements of its elite visitors with the needs of those of mostly lowly status that required its services. Uniquely this thesis shows how many multitudes of individuals impacted on the Foundling Hospital, beyond the usual histories of Governors, mothers and children. It shows how the establishment of the institution was a risky one, but one that succeeded through the building of trust and reputation. This thesis shows that it was the supporters’ ability to adapt as circumstances changed, while also maintaining their core values, that allowed the Foundling Hospital to survive not only into the next century but also beyond, into the twenty-first, as the charity Coram and the Foundling Museum.