Bob, Sorry to just jump in, but being from a family that passed kids around a lot I have only found one reason. The welfare system was not set up then and a lot of time there was just not enough money to support the family. If he re-married and did not take the first batch of kids, it may have been he could not support all of the kids and they were better cared for in the orphanage, so he loved them enough to leave them there. Bonnie Martin> From: [email protected]> To: [email protected]> Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 22:35:18 -0400> Subject: Re: [OHHAMILT] Guardianships in the mid 1800's> > Ann> > I have just the opposite. My great-grandmother passed away in 1904 and I > have a copy of the record granting guardianship of my grandfather (12 at the > time) to his own father, my great-grandfather. I still haven't figured out > why. 6 years later my grandfather's oldest brother gave up his 5 children > when his wife died from TB. The boys went to one orphanage and the girls > went to another. I know in the case of the girls, since he wanted them to > have a proper religeous education, and couldn't afford it, he had to sign > over the rights or guardianship of the girls to the orphanage. And it > still bothers me that even after he remarried, he never got back custody of > any of the 5 children from his first wife.> > Bob> ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[email protected]>> To: <[email protected]>> Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 10:40 AM> Subject: Re: [OHHAMILT] Guardianships in the mid 1800's> > > > Phyllis;> >> > It is my understanding that women simply had no legal status, and as such> > were not automatically granted custody of their own children, even in > > widowhood.> >> > There were apparently some instances, however, in which the mother was > > given> > custody of her children at a court hearing, but they usually were given to > > a> > male relative who was supposed to be responsible for them. Not always > > even> > a relative -- could have been an attorney, etc. (who just may have become> > involved because there was some estate to be managed as well).> >> > Ann Bergelt> > Florida> >> >> >> > **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on > > family> > favorites at AOL Food.> > (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001)> >> >> > To contact the List Administrator, send an email to: [email protected]> >> > Did you miss a message? You can find it in the list's archives here:> >> > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/OHHAMILT/> >> > Don't forget--there is also a message board for Hamilton County:> >> > http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.ohio.counties.hamilton/mb.ashx> >> >> > -------------------------------> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > > quotes in the subject and the body of the message> > > > > > > To contact the List Administrator, send an email to: [email protected]> > Did you miss a message? You can find it in the list's archives here:> > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/OHHAMILT/> > Don't forget--there is also a message board for Hamilton County:> > http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.ohio.counties.hamilton/mb.ashx> > > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ Keep your kids safer online with Windows Live Family Safety. http://www.windowslive.com/family_safety/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_family_safety_052008