London History Lectures: ‘A disgrace to the Christian world?’: The Emigration of London’s Street Children to Canada, 1869-1904
In this talk, Sarah Wise focuses on the work of Annie Macpherson in Spitalfields, East London, whose rescue and resettlement work from the 1860s to the early 1900s drew huge admiration as well as bitter criticism.
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The ‘emigration’ of thousands of poor London children in the 19th century provoked widespread opposition from some commentators. Why should poverty mean exile for London infants?, they wondered. Join Sarah Wise to explore the history and controversy surrounding the emigration of London's impoverished street children to Canada.
What will we cover?
London's street children
Annie Macpherson & Spitalfields
Emigration strategies & Canada
The emigration controversy
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Evaluate the significance of the work of Annie Macpherson with particular reference to the Spitalfields area of London and the accompanying controversy surrounding emigration.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
One-off lecture - an interest in the topic and a willingness to engage with it are the only requirements.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Lecture with opportunities for Q & A. Optional further reading will be provided.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No other costs. Pen and Paper if you wish to take notes.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Please see the London History/Walks areas for other London History courses run by Sarah at the City Lit.
Sarah Wise is an award-winning writer and historian, with an MA in Victorian Studies from Birkbeck, University of London. She teaches social history and literature at the University of California’s London Outreach Center. Her interests are urban history, working-class history, medical history and nineteenth-century literature and reportage. Her most recent book, Inconvenient People: Lunacy, Liberty and the Mad-Doctors in Victorian England, was shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize. Her 2004 debut, The Italian Boy: Murder and Grave Robbery in 1830s London, was shortlisted for the 2005 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction and won the Crime Writers’ Association Golden Dagger. Her follow-up The Blackest Streets: The Life and Death of a Victorian Slum (2008) was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature's Ondaatje Prize. She was a contributor to the volume Charles Booth's London Poverty Maps, published by Thames & Hudson/London School of Economics, and appeared on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time to discuss Booth's work https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wsxf For reviews www.sarahwise.co.uk/reviews.html
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/london-history-lectures-a-disgrace-to-the-christian-world-the-emigration-of-london-s-street-children-to-canada-1869-19043062899London History Lectures: ‘A disgrace to the Christian world?’: The Emigration of London’s Street Children to Canada, 1869-1904https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/l/o/london.jpg1919GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/London history & walks/Courses/Online courses228511771178118417311228511771178<p>In this talk, Sarah Wise focuses on the work of Annie Macpherson in Spitalfields, East London, whose rescue and resettlement work from the 1860s to the early 1900s drew huge admiration as well as bitter criticism. </p>003062860London History Lectures: ‘A disgrace to the Christian world?’: The Emigration of London’s Street Children to Canada, 1869-19041919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/l/o/london_1.jpgInStockEveningWedOnlineAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekday2026-12-02T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allDec 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLW3241919London History Lectures: ‘A disgrace to the Christian world?’: The Emigration of London’s Street Children to Canada, 1869-1904191219Sarah Wiselondon-history-lectures-a-disgrace-to-the-christian-world-the-emigration-of-london-s-street-children-to-canada-1869-1904/hlw324-2627<p>In this talk, Sarah Wise focuses on the work of Annie Macpherson in Spitalfields, East London, whose rescue and resettlement work from the 1860s to the early 1900s drew huge admiration as well as bitter criticism. </p>0000-Available|2026-12-02 00:00:00<p>The ‘emigration’ of thousands of poor London children in the 19th century provoked widespread opposition from some commentators. Why should poverty mean exile for London infants?, they wondered. Join Sarah Wise to explore the history and controversy surrounding the emigration of London's impoverished street children to Canada. </p><p>In this talk, Sarah Wise focuses on the work of Annie Macpherson in Spitalfields, East London, whose rescue and resettlement work from the 1860s to the early 1900s drew huge admiration as well as bitter criticism. </p><ul><li>London's street children </li><li>Annie Macpherson & Spitalfields</li><li>Emigration strategies & Canada</li><li>The emigration controversy </li></ul><p>Evaluate the significance of the work of Annie Macpherson with particular reference to the Spitalfields area of London and the accompanying controversy surrounding emigration. </p><p>One-off lecture - an interest in the topic and a willingness to engage with it are the only requirements.</p><p>Lecture with opportunities for Q & A. Optional further reading will be provided. </p><p>No other costs. Pen and Paper if you wish to take notes. </p><p>Please see the London History/Walks areas for other London History courses run by Sarah at the City Lit.</p>HistoryLondon history & walksvirtual191912HLW324NONEWed02/12/2619:00 - 20:3019:0020:301 session1One-off onlyEveningWeekdayOnlineOnlineSarah WiseBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-12-02T00:00:00+00:00Dec 2026Culture, history & humanities1919London History Lectures: ‘A disgrace to the Christian world?’: The Emigration of London’s Street Children to Canada, 1869-1904london-history-lectures-a-disgrace-to-the-christian-world-the-emigration-of-london-s-street-children-to-canada-1869-1904/hlw324-2627<p>In this talk, Sarah Wise focuses on the work of Annie Macpherson in Spitalfields, East London, whose rescue and resettlement work from the 1860s to the early 1900s drew huge admiration as well as bitter criticism. </p>0000-Available|2026-12-02 00:00:00<p>The ‘emigration’ of thousands of poor London children in the 19th century provoked widespread opposition from some commentators. Why should poverty mean exile for London infants?, they wondered. Join Sarah Wise to explore the history and controversy surrounding the emigration of London's impoverished street children to Canada. </p><p>In this talk, Sarah Wise focuses on the work of Annie Macpherson in Spitalfields, East London, whose rescue and resettlement work from the 1860s to the early 1900s drew huge admiration as well as bitter criticism. </p><ul><li>London's street children </li><li>Annie Macpherson &amp; Spitalfields</li><li>Emigration strategies &amp; Canada</li><li>The emigration controversy </li></ul><p>Evaluate the significance of the work of Annie Macpherson with particular reference to the Spitalfields area of London and the accompanying controversy surrounding emigration. </p><p>One-off lecture - an interest in the topic and a willingness to engage with it are the only requirements.</p><p>Lecture with opportunities for Q &amp; A. Optional further reading will be provided. </p><p>No other costs. Pen and Paper if you wish to take notes. </p><p>Please see the London History/Walks areas for other London History courses run by Sarah at the City Lit.</p>HistoryLondon history & walksconfigurable
11841178London history & walkshttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/history/london-history-and-walks1/2/285/1177/1178/11841/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/London history & walks
