Amelia Dyer: The Female Serial Killer Who Murdered More Than 300 Infants
A child murderer who killed babies left in her care
Baby farming was a very common practice in Victorian England during the 19th century. Baby farmers usually collected babies from their mothers and were paid to take care of them. It was one of the options available for single mothers who couldn’t afford to cater for their kids by themselves.
It was a replica of modern-day foster care. Then, individuals were allowed to act as unofficial adoption centers. People who did this business were known to be honorable people by virtue of the fact that they took care of children.
Baby farmers mostly used their homes as a haven for the babies of women who conceived illegitimately. Most of these women would later return to get their babies after they had become financially stable enough to take care of them.
Sadly, the practice of baby farming was not regulated and it wasn’t unusual for some babies to pass away while in care of the baby farmers. Since there was no one to keep a record of the numbers of these children, they were left at the mercy of whoever took them in.
It was an ungoverned form of adoption, hence most caregivers did whatever pleased them. In some cases, the caregivers resorted to…
