Stolen Babies: The Unworthy Mother’s Story
Marion McMillan was 17, pregnant and unmarried when she traveled to England, sent by her family to a Salvation Army maternity home.
In 1966, Marion, from the south-west of Scotland, spent nine months with her baby boy in Newcastle-upon-Tyne before he was taken from her. She remembers pleading with staff: "Please help me keep my baby, don’t let them take my baby, please."
This story is part of a larger narrative told in the BBC documentary Stolen Babies, highlighting the experiences of 250,000 women forced to give up their newborns for adoption between 1949 and 1976. These women, often from working-class backgrounds, had little say in the matter as state bodies and religious organizations dictated the outcomes.
As Marion recounts, "Let’s face it, we were working class unmarried girls having babies that were being adopted by middle class women."
For years, many of these mothers kept their experiences secret, feeling shame and guilt. In July 2022, former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer offered a formal apology to these mothers, stating, "The shame is not yours… the shame is ours."
Marion’s personal journey:
Marion fell in love with a Pakistani refugee when she was 17. She hoped for marriage but her boyfriend warned her that their relationship wouldn’t be accepted. Their last conversation ended with him suggesting they emigrate to Hawaii.
She gave birth at Hopedene, a home for unmarried mothers where, as Marion describes it, "everything… is that you’re unworthy to be a mother and we’re taking your baby from you." She wasn’t even allowed to hold her son until the following day.
