ABSTRACT
Anna and Hugh Verrall are now married and living with Hugh’s parents. Hugh and his father are partners in a firm of solicitors. It is 1883. Anna gives birth to a baby boy who only lives for a few hours. The effect of a baby’s death on the subsequent child is discussed. The subsequent child was Joan. Her parents were delighted by her large size, 9 ¼ lbs, her beauty and her good behaviour. Joan seems to have realised from the beginning that her mother could not tolerate any emotional demands. Her father took flight from his wife and new baby within two months of Joan’s birth. From then on, Anna Verrall decided she would follow her husband. Two more babies were born while Joan’s parents were away and she was at home with a nursemaid. The impact on Joan of this emotional neglect is discussed.
