How many Bastards do you have in your tree

[Laurina]

My worst experience was finding a new rellie in New Zealand and telling him his father was not only adopted but born in the workhouse! He knew nothing about it and neither did his living mother... Dad was dead so couldn't answer any questions.

Laurina

[Elliebob]

I voted 0 because there are no Bastards, plenty of bastards however!!!  Am I being pedantic or did the grammar make a difference to my understanding?

 - I wasn't trying to be clever I did misunderstand the capital letter!!

Ellen

[meles]

I was going through some Norfolk Parish records last week and was so surprised at the number of "base born" (the phrase used there) children being born, that I made a rough calculation: it was something like one in eight. I am rather surprised that my ancestors can only come up with 5%!

meles

[giving up for a while]

when my kids were born I wasnt married to there dad and we never got around to putting his name on there birth certs (he has since died)

My ex husband adopted my 2 daughters

My boys didnt want to change there name so were not addopted

So are my boys bastards because they dont have a fathers name on there birth cert just a line

[polidor]

O'h dear, i haven't  found any yet, i feel quite left out!!!!!

[wheeldon]

I've found about 4 ish but there are some more that I'm trying to confirm.

I've quite a lot that were touch and go - the bride must have positively waddled down the aisle with the shot gun behind her.

[suey]

I have 9 by one lady (lady!?) - my ggg grandmother. Beat that!!

Oh dear, I can!  My 3 x Great grandmother had eleven 'baseborn' babies.

To be honest I havn't counted all the others but there are a lot and like wheeldon I have several ladies who must have been very pleased to leave the church without giving birth at the alter!

Suey

[robjam]

I find all of this quite amazing and will certainly use some of the search tips.

The result of the poll so far  gives a Bastard average of about 4.71 for each of those who have taken part.  This has been calculated by using the median in each interval and by assuming a value of 8 for the interval that is not closed by an upper value.
This last figure is a very conservative estimate, especially if some of the replies are taken into account.

If you assume that there are 30 000 Rootschatters, a figure that will soon be true and that will happen on an easily predictable date, that would give Rootschatters an estimated grand total of 125 000 Bastards. 

However, there will be duplicate Bastards amongst some Rootschatters making the true figure more difficult to ascertain.  Maybe someone who finds stats vaguely interesting could calculate this.

I've just bored myself almost to death.

Thankyou to everyone who has so far taken part.

Rob

[Gadget]

I've voted 6, cos that's the max. I've got lots in the non-direct lines - and still growing

It means that I only have 7 great grandparents - who, oh who was my Margit's paramour

Gadget