‘Baby farming’ concerns in Cork after death of 6 month-old boy
Cork, 16 October 1923 - A Coroner’s inquest yesterday into the death of a 6 month old baby boy has raised concerns about possible baby farming in the Co. Cork. The coroner, John J. Horgan, Solicitor, declared that it was imperative to protect children and anything at all that pointed in the direction of so-called ‘baby farming’ needed to be dealt with sternly or, better still, prevented.
Medical evidence provided to the inquest indicated that while the 6 month old boy bore no marks of physical violence, considerable neglect had been displayed as the cause of death was attributed to wasting or starvation. The remains of the child had been examined following exhumation at Rathcooney graveyard. No report had been made in relation to the boy’s death to the Registrar of Deaths or to any public authority.
Evidence provided to the inquest indicated that the child had been brought to a house on Upper Mayfield in Cork on June 29th by a woman who asked if they accepted nursing children. It is understood a deal was reached between the woman with the baby boy and a woman in the house - a Mrs Denner - to keep the child for ten years for £15. There were already other children in the house, two nephews and two nursing children.
The woman who deposited the child is believed to have been from the Clonakilty area and possibly a farmer’s wife.The child she left behind died on September 10th.
Evidence provided to the inquest from the daughter of the woman of the house indicated that two other ‘nurse children’ had previously died in her care. In both these cases, the deceased children were buried by the local Guardians. However, in the case of the 6 month old boy, it was Mrs. Denner’s son-in-law who buried the remains without any report having been given to either the Coroner or the Medical Officer Indeed, the Civic Guard and Coroner only became involved in the case after, on foot of rumors circulating in the locality, the house in Mayfield was visited by a woman connected with the Child Welfare League.
As well as hearing from individuals directly involved in the case, the inquest also heard evidence from a pathologist and legal representatives of the Civic Guard and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). The inquest was held in the licensed premises of Mrs. O’Connell, Ballyvolane.
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
