The Deserted Wives and Children Act of 1840 as amended by the Act of 1858 was also known as ‘An Act to amend the Act for the Maintenance of Deserted Wives and Children’. It made it harder for deserting parents to escape their obligation to maintain their children by leaving the Colony. It made provision for deserted wives to hold onto property they had acquired since their husband had deserted her. This Amendment also made parents liable to maintain children placed in the Destitute Children’s Asylum. This Act was repealed by the Deserted Wives and Children’s Act 1901.