CH.II.] ORPHANS AND FOUNDLINGS. 135 



the children were there brought up in the Protestant reli- 

 gion. 



It would be difficult to establish a legislative interference 

 that would not be calculated to increase the number of 

 desertions. The Foundling Hospital was good at the time 

 when it existed, to prevent the desertion of children; 

 for in this case they were brought to the churchwarden of 

 the parish, and were supposed to belong to a Protestant 

 family ; the Catholic mothers made therefore every exer- 

 tion to keep them. 



Parish of Kilcummin, barony of Moycullen. Twenty witnesses. 



The evidence of Mary Carr gives an idea of the man- 

 ner in which foundlings and orphans are brought up. 

 There are fifty widows in the parish, who are in the same 

 situation as this woman, supported by the bounty of their 

 neighbours, and upon the brink of mendicancy. She gave 

 the following deposition. 



" I am a widow. My daughter also is a widow. I am 

 rearing a foundling, who is now twelve years old. I have 

 a cabin, for which I pay 8s. a year rent. I am two years 

 in arrear. I was not able to work hard for the last three 

 years; before that I used to manufacture a bit of can- 

 vass to pay my rent. I often go, at the risk of my life, 

 to places for the neighbours, striving to earn something. 

 For one day that we have enough to eat, we are two days 

 that we have not. I attend the sick sometimes. I need 

 not risk myself at all, but for the little boy, who must have 

 something to eat. I received altogether 61. 9s. 4d. from 

 the parish for supporting the child. The people are un- 

 willing to pay the cess; I do not think they are able. 

 The blanket that was on my bed I cut up to make two 



