Runaway Husband

Abandoned kids and single mums are far from new. But in the past, it was a criminal offence, as it meant that the family became the responsibility of the local parish for support, so was deemed fraud. the horrors of poverty back then were very real, and the poor really did die young and badly, plus the shame of it was enough to kill them
But, there was always a dilemma – abandoning a family was worthy of punishment, but by imprisoning the father, this prevented him from supporting his family, plus he had to be supported, as a diary from about 1760 shows:

“Will Burrage had fled about 5 years ago, leaving his wife and 6 small children:

Now, as the affair makes a great noise, and the inhabitants seem much divided in their opinion about the treatment which he deserves, … First, Mr Porter [parson] Mr Coates, and Mr French, are desirous he should suffer the punishment due to so atrocious a crime as deserting his family, by which means they have cost the parish upwards of £50, and the poor woman become a lunatic, through grief, in the most rigorous manner; the rest of the people are all desirous that he should escape without any further punishment, and they plead that it will be of no service to the parish to confine him in the House of Correction. This I think savours too much of a contracted and self-interested mind. Neither of these methods do I approve of. I would then advise that justice should take place in such a manner that strict eye may have had to mercy, and not in the height of executive justice to forget, the benign virtue..”

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