Introduction

This chapter outlines the focus and approach of the book. It situates the book within its broader context, offering an overview of scholarship in the history of childhood. The lack of space given to the ragged schools in histories of childhood, education, and religion is discussed. It contends that existing studies of the movement are limited by the sources used and consequently cannot give space to the children’s voices. An exclusive focus on the words and experiences of adults culminates in partial understanding; in contrast, children’s testimonies are central to this history. The value of microhistories is then outlined, and the archive that underpins this book is discussed.