Child Insanity in England, 1845-1907

Steven J. Taylor is Research Assistant at the Centre for Health Histories at the University of Huddersfield and Honorary Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Medical Humanities at the University of Leicester, UK. His work has been published in Family and Community History, History of Psychiatry, and History.

“In this new volume for the series Palgrave Studies in the History of Childhood, edited by George Rousseau and Laurence Brockliss, Steven Taylor examines the history of child insanity in England. … Taylor’s book adds much to our knowledge, awareness, and understanding of the social histories of childhood and mental health.” (Catharine Coleborne, The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, Vol. 11 (1), 2018)

• 1. Introduction.- 2. 'Much below insects, and so little above sensitive plants': Constructing the Insane Child.- 3. Networks of Care: Asylum Children, Typology, and Experience.- 4. Looking Out from the Asylum: Deathbeds, Distribution, and Diversity.- 5. Beyond the Asylum: Dealing with Insane Children.- 6. Conclusion.