<<<In a message dated 29/06/2004 12:16:46 GMT Daylight Time, JessicaMeek@aol.com writes: Were illegitimate children common back in the 1800's? I seem to have a lot in my family? Could this just be my family or was there a lot of illegitimacy?>>>>> The national rates have varied over time, about 6 per cent in 1800 to almost 7 per cent by 1845, Apparently a third of woman at this time were already pregnant at the time of marriage, by the 1890s the official figure was 4 per cent. To put these figures in perspective the 1994 rate was about 33 per cent. Servants in rural areas were particularly likely to be mothers of illegitimate children; they were away from parental control, often denied the normal formalities of courtship, and prone not only to the attentions of their masters but also those of their fellow servants. Regards Stan Mapstone

I suspect that there were quite wide differences according to the type of locality. A few illegitimacies on my family tree, not lots, but from memory most women seem to have pregnant when married (or at least well over the 33% quoted) - and that's just going by the marriage to baptism of 1st child, i.e. could have been more (baptism late, child born dead, miscarriage after the wedding). The clergy may not have approved but I have read it was even expected that a woman be pregnant before a couple married, having children was so important a couple wouldn't want to find they couldn't. Of course after getting pregnant some women were deserted by the men they had expected to marry them, leading both to illegitimate children and children whose "father" wasn't the blood one. There were certainly class differences (uncommon in middle class) and I think it was growth of middle class and accompanying attitudes that changed things in the early C20th. ----- Original Message ----- From: <Stanmapstone@aol.com> To: <ENG-DURHAM-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 4:12 PM Subject: Re: [ENG-DUR] Illegitimate children > <<<In a message dated 29/06/2004 12:16:46 GMT Daylight Time, > JessicaMeek@aol.com writes: > Were illegitimate children common back in the 1800's? I seem to have a lot > in my family? Could this just be my family or was there a lot of > illegitimacy?>>>>> > > The national rates have varied over time, about 6 per cent in 1800 to almost > 7 per cent by 1845, Apparently a third of woman at this time were already > pregnant at the time of marriage, by the 1890s the official figure was 4 per > cent. > To put these figures in perspective the 1994 rate was about 33 per cent. > Servants in rural areas were particularly likely to be mothers of > illegitimate children; they were away from parental control, often denied the normal > formalities of courtship, and prone not only to the attentions of their masters > but also those of their fellow servants. > > Regards Stan Mapstone > >