Matrophobia (Fear of Motherhood): Murdering Mothers in 19th Century London

Some women were so petrified of motherhood they committed the ultimate taboo and refused the socially sanctioned sacred bond between mother and child.

Infanticide, the act of killing a baby or a very young child, remains an intensely complex and emotive subject. In Victorian London, the number of predominantly poor, unmarried women accused of murdering their babies dramatically increased. In light of this, public opinion varied towards mothers charged with murder. This talk will discuss Nineteenth Century ‘popular’ (often conflicting) attitudes towards infanticide, by examining the transcripts of court cases tried at London’s Central Criminal Court.

Join Julie Mathias, our Manager of Education and Access, for this fascinating talk which will try to shed some light behind the reasons why these Victorian women's fears made them into murdering mothers.