Illegitimacy and adoption around 1909

[LDaw]

I've realised that I was assuming it was standard practice for illegitimate babies to be adopted but now I'm wondering if that was more of a 1950s/1960s "solution".

Does anyone know what was usual around 1909 for a family to do when the unmarried daughter had a baby?  The grandfather was a general labourer and the mother was a live in domestic servant in 1911.  (In this case the child stayed with the grandparents and the younger sister had an involvement in raising during the early years.  Was this usual?

Thanks

[lizdb]

Often happened. I have cases in my tree where illegitimate offspring were brought up by grandparents or other relations.

As for "usual", not sure there was a usual way!  Different families would react in different ways.

[Gan Yam]

My grandmother and her sister both had illegitimate children around 1910. Both children were brought up by their mothers even after their mothers married and not to the fathers

[Jebber]

The adoption act did not come in until 1926: effective in 1927, before that it was an informal arrangement, sometimes through the Church when a childless couple were known to be receptive to bringing up a stranger's child.

It was quite common for grandparents to bring them up, sometimes the child grew up believing their mother was a their older sister. As has already been said, sometimes they were taken in by other family members.

[Creasegirl]

My great grandmother had my grandfather in 1910 in the home if a woman which i think was an informal midwife/ maternity hospital for illegitimate births.  My grandfather was then adopted at a few months old to a childless couple.  This was in edinburgh  and my great grandmother was in domestic service. 

[LDaw]

Was the usual family response one of shame or did it vary quite widely?

[Gan Yam]

Was the usual family response one of shame or did it vary quite widely?

I think it probably varied greatly and each family responded differently.  My grandmother certainly wasn't ostracized by her family.

[greyhobbes02]

My great-great-grandmother had 5 illegitimate children in total, all with different fathers I think. She was in service in various places so her parents took in 3 but clearly refused at the fourth as she moved away. The fifth died as a baby.
Her sister also had two illegitimate kids that they took in. Very kind parents, I'm sure a lot would have turned them away much sooner.