In nineteenth-century London, working-class mothers faced an impossible choice: earn a living or care for their young children. Marie Hilton saw the struggles of these families first-hand and set out to create a solution. Inspired by crèches she had encountered in Paris and Brussels, she founded Mrs Hilton’s Crèche, Infirmary and Orphan’s Home in Stepney in 1871, providing safe childcare for the children of working mothers.
From its humble beginnings caring for just 25 children in one house, Marie’s pioneering work grew into a network that would support thousands of families. Her establishments offered much more than childcare, providing food, cleanliness, medical care and a nurturing environment at a time when many poor children had few protections.
This talk explores the life and legacy of Marie Hilton, the social conditions that shaped her work, and the remarkable story of a woman whose vision helped change attitudes towards childcare, motherhood and the lives of working families in Victorian London.
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About the Speaker
Karen De Bruyne
Karen de Bruyne is a professional genealogist, with a Post Graduate Diploma in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies. She is an Associate of Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA) and a Member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG). Karen has over 25 years research experience from around the world, specialising in London & those who passed through British India, the Far East and Dutch Indies. She loves searching for the stories... She has achieved a certificate in British India Ancestors from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, and is also approved researcher at the British Library, Asia and Africa Reading room for family history. She is a volunteer host for the Society of Genealogists and events co-ordinator for London Westminster & Middlesex Family History Society, a Trustee of F.I.B.I.S. and S.O.G.
