Synopses & Reviews
Thomas Coram is forever identified with the foundling hospital he established in 1739. This, however, came near the end of his life, and all before was shadowy until Gillian Wagner began to look at the scarce but intriguing records relating to his earlier career. His parents were poor, honest people- just the background an ambitious young man might wish to leave behind, and he went to Boston, Massachusetts, to build ships. Caught up in the infinite possibilities of the New World, he remained there for many years, working both to exploit America's natural resources and to further the spread ofAnglicanism. But relationships for Coram were seldom easy; he came back to England disappointed and heavily in debt, though with a lifelong desire toreturn to America. Coram survived this early setback, and slowly secured himself a place within English society, principally through his entirely characteristic support for radical causes, typically women's rights and equal opportunities for girls. Perhaps it was this openminded view of women thatlay behind the estalishment of the hospital, which was, uniquely, supported by a group of aristocratic women - twenty-one ladies of quality and distinction. Within two years of the granting of a royal charter, Coram fell out with the governors and was ejected from the governing body. His last yearswere clouded by disappointment, but he was rescued from poverty by the granting of a pension, signifying the wider recognition of his work. He died in1751, and is buried in the chapel of his hospital.