The purpose of this collection is to bring together representative examples of the most recent work that is taking an understanding of children and childhood in new directions. The two key overarching themes are diversity: social, economic, geographical, and cultural; and agency: the need to see children in industrial England as participants - even

Chapter 1 Introduction, JonasHarvard, PeterStadius; Chapter 2 Child Sexual Abuse in Late Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century London, SarahToulalan; Chapter 3 Charity Apprenticeship and Social Capital in Eighteenth-Century England, AlysaLevene; Chapter 4 Compulsion, Compassion and Consent, KatrinaHoneyman; Chapter 5 Agency and Reform, Nielsvan Manen; Chapter 6 Care and Cruelty in the Workhouse, JaneHumphries; Chapter 7 Victorian Social Investigation and the Children’s Employment Commission, 1840–1842, PeterKirby; Chapter 8 Child Employment Prospects in Nineteenth-Century Hertfordshire in Perspective, NigelGoose; Chapter 9 ‘We Will Have It’, KathrynGleadle; Chapter 10 Changing Conceptualizations of Children’s Rights in Early Industrial Britain, ColinCreighton; Chapter 11 ‘Something in the Place of Home’, NicolaSheldon; Chapter 12 Moral Instruction, Urban Poverty and English Elementary Schools in the Late Nineteenth Century, SusannahWright; Chapter 13 Working Lads in Late-Victorian London, ClareRose;

'This well-written book successfully accesses the experiences of child labourers via a range of clearly conveyed topics and previously underutilised or overlooked historical resources. It allows for a comprehensive outlook on the childhood experience of the labouring population between 1750-1914 and effectively evaluates the autonomy afforded to and exercised by these children, thus characterising them as active participants in the economic and social transitions of the time.' Centre for Medical Humanities 'All of the essays in the collection are solidly rooted in both secondary and primary sources, and are written in an approachable prose style... a worthwhile addition to its field.' EH-Net 'Childhood and Child Labour in Industrial England, 1750-1914 provides a nuanced and sophisticated analysis of children working in industrializing Britain. ... insightful and well-researched ...' Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth 'This is a very solid collection: the chapters all rest on a good base of empirical research - ranging from trial evidence, the records of local government and charitable institutions and parliamentary reports, through autobiographies, newspapers and photographs; all are well presented, and most add significant new elements to the authors' extant published work.' Family and Community History 'Nigel Goose and Katrina Honeyman's book is a very substantial collection of essays by twelve social historians ... [The book] provide[s] welcome evidence of the current liveliness and industry in the field of modern childhood studies. [It] show[s] the rigorous research standards of a circle of historians ... [It is] founded on an envious command of a large secondary literature.' History