Abstract
This chapter examines how, at a time of very high childhood mortality, some early Sunday School Reward Books (SSRB) explore child emotions around dying, including reactions to the deaths of siblings, young friends and parents. Published chiefly 1820–1860 in England, early SSRB were largely Evangelical, linking back to James Janeway’s Token for Children, first published 1671–1672 but also later, including in SSRB form. SSRB were short pamphlets, aiming to compete with chapbooks and produced cheaply for the growing number of poor children attending Sunday School. A number of these address emotions around childhood death. Though written by adults, they appear to observe actual children and allow the child’s voice to come through in a manner not possible in more polished, fictional writing.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Smith, M.C. (2016). Child Death and Children’s Emotions in Early Sunday School Reward Books. In: Barclay, K., Reynolds, K., Rawnsley, C. (eds) Death, Emotion and Childhood in Premodern Europe. Palgrave Studies in the History of Childhood. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57199-1_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57199-1_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-57198-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-57199-1
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)