Britain is a land of contrasts for the fae. On one hand, there is no place in the west where they are more accepted and well treated than the Celtic lands of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. On the other hand, there are no nearer places to hell for the fae than the great cities, particularly London. This being the case, it is rare to see changelings in the cities. Generally, they keep to the smaller towns and villages, or hide in those enchanted glens which remain in the deepest parts of the British wilderness.
The first thing which drives the fae from the cities is industry. Pollution aside, the very notion of a factory is an affront to the fae, boggans and nockers in particular. Further, the effects such places have on the souls of those who work their, often children, is painful for changelings to even be around. With the rise of the work house after the Poor Law of 1834 was passed, children were forced to labor under horrific conditions in increasing numbers. Only a the most stalwart fae have the will to face such adversity in order to save these poor souls from hopelessness.
Perhaps of even more concern is the belief spread by evangelical groups at the turn of the century that the will of children must be broken, for their natural instincts and imaginations will drive them to evil and sin. To this end children were forced into conformity and routine intended to drive from them any sign of spirit or mischevousness. Combined with the neurotic obsession with propriety which marks much of the Victorian era, this is a dark time indeed for children. Increasingly, the practice of stealing changeling children is seen as the only means to save them from a fate worse than death.
The situation is somewhat better the further away from the Empire one goes. Eshu arrive with other Egyptians, carrying stories of the exotic cousins to the fae which exist throughout the world. In the east, the hsien have had some marginal contact with their western kin, though the tie between the two races is not entirely understood. Word also comes back from the Americas of the proud nunnehi and their continued persecution along with their mortal kin bothers not a few of the Celtic fae.