Re the pregnancy before marriage... I think the Victorians amended the attitude, but prior to this, it wasn't just tolerated, but positively encouraged, for the bride to be pregnant at marriage.
Large families were wanted, for the labour they provided, and for passing on the farm/trade etc... and most families didn't want to be landed with a new spouse who couldn't provide children... so becoming pregnant before the wedding ensured to each party that the other could provide fully in this department.
Many of my gang were pregnant at marriage, nothing particularly scandalous about that... though we do have a bigamist in my partner's clan... his great grandparents lived together for more than 10 years, and had at least 7 children, before they married in 1901. She was a "drinker"... and he abandoned the family sometime between 1903-1914, because in 1814 she married someone else... When hubby returned and found her remarried, he let things lie to avoid her arrest, and lived with his daughter. At least 2 of his children used to throw stones at him whenever they saw him because of the abandonment.
I've found someone else who only lived with her husband for a short time before becoming housekeeper for an older single gent. Her husband continued to describe himself as married, but she claimed to be a widow... and had a number of children by her employer.
The most recent find is of my partner's GGG grandmother's family... she was descended from Hugh Blair of Borgue, Kirkcudbright, who inherited his father's estate in 1717. In 1746 he married, and in 1747 his wife became pregnant... at this point his brother, John, stepped in and took Hugh to court to get Hugh's marriage annulled on the grounds that he was not mentally competent to understand his marriage or to manage his affairs... clearly John could cope with Hugh having the manor & estate, as long as he or his children inherited at a later date, but the prospect of an heir compelled him to take the case to the courts.
John won his case, and Hugh's marriage was annulled, though he and his wife continued to live as husband & wife... however they had moved to Kirkcudbright town by the time of the baby's birth... so I can only assume that John also obtained control of the Blair estate through the court case.... shoving Hugh out of his birthright.
The reason I have so much info is that a book was written about him (Autism in History: the case of Hugh Blair of Borgue).... so far I only have the snippets from reviews of the book and a brief overview of the case online.... but I've ordered the book, which contains detailed evidence from over 30 witnesses about Hugh's appearance & nature. The Autism diagnosis has, of course, been made recently by the co-author based on the extensive description of his behaviour from the witnesses. I don't suppose it's common to discover a book written about one's ancestor.... I do envy my partner... he has all the fascinating folk in his tree! (but I'm the one who gets to discover it all... so we both win in the end)
Impy
