‘Keeping Mum’: A Historical Examination of the Andrew Mercer Reformatory and its Contemporary Legacy Through a Framework of Motherhood
Loading...
Authors
Dowd, Annie
Date
2024-08-31
Type
other
Language
en
Keyword
Humanities and religion , History and philosophy , Legal history
Alternative Title
Abstract
This cognate essay is anchored in the history of the Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Females. A conceptual framework of motherhood is employed to examine the interplay between experiences of motherhood and experiences of incarceration through the institution. A temporal scope spanning from approximately 1920-1960 encompasses shifts in social and legislative attitudes, as well as a range of historical sources and experiences. This research engages with a variety of primary sources including annual reports on the Mercer, certain provincial and federal legislation, newspaper reports, and a published memoir. An intersectional methodology recognizes the unique experiences of racialized women, and particularly, Indigenous women. Oral interviews conducted with three descendants of the Mercer provide the foundation for this research.
This cognate essay aims to expand on and address gaps in the current literature by incorporating descendant experiences, highlighting the continued impact of the Mercer in the present and possibilities for redress in the future. Broadly, this research analyzes how women were regulated as potential and/or actual mothers, experiences of motherhood within the Mercer, experiences of lost motherhood through the Mercer, and the relevance of this history in the present. This research acknowledges an incomplete historical record and hopes to encourage new directions for future scholarship. Its intended purpose is to position mothers, children, and descendants at the center of this history and highlight its contemporary legacy through a lens of social justice. Social and legislative calls to action voiced by descendants are offered in conclusion.