Author Topic: likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+  (Read 514 times)

Offline fridge magnet

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likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+
« on: Thursday 28 January 21 16:13 GMT (UK) »
Hi,
Trying to find an ancestor who was born around 1800 in Southwark (possibly - having located him on various census from 1841 - 1861 - Southwark is listed as birth place). I have found a possible baptism for 1802, but searching for baptisms with the parents names don't illicit any further children - just one son and they were both over 40 when he was born. I just wondered if this was likely?
Also, they appear to have married in Holborn, where they later died in a workhouse - and I am unsure they would have moved south of the river (albeit only a few miles) at that time to have a son and move back again??
I have searched the parish records for baptisms for both Holborn & Southwark around this time to try to find him elsewhere and/or any possible siblings
If any one has any advice on this, I'd be very grateful
Many thanks.

Offline ThrelfallYorky

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Re: likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 28 January 21 16:32 GMT (UK) »
May help with the likelyhood if you knew how long they'd been married - if for donkey's years, then it probably was a child " acquired " in some way. 40 would be just about possible for a first birth then, but not madly likely, I'd think.
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Offline louisa maud

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Re: likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 28 January 21 16:39 GMT (UK) »
Have you checked on deaths.

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Offline fridge magnet

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Re: likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 28 January 21 16:54 GMT (UK) »
Hi ThrelfallYorky,
Thanks for replying so promptly - they were married 4 years before, and I did wonder if either or both had been married before - but can't find anything on Ancestry for the parish records they have - which is why I'm a bit lost - have also tried familysearch.org - but just have the same things
Anything else you think I could try - Ancestry help wasn't, as they were too general in vaguely looking for a parish??


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Re: likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 28 January 21 16:58 GMT (UK) »
Hi Louisa Maud,
Thanks also for replying so quickly - I know that the child survived to his sixties - as I have census records and his marriage & death certificate
His parents - can't find much, but did find a burial listing for both of them, as they were both in a workhouse in Holborn
Not sure where to go otherwise?

Offline Glen in Tinsel Kni

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Re: likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 28 January 21 18:50 GMT (UK) »
Might be they had no children to baptise or had kids and didn't bother to baptise them.   I've got families that baptised them all within days of birth, some who didn't bother at all and some who did a few kids and not others and/or made a day of it and did several of the kids at one go.

Offline Rena

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Re: likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 28 January 21 19:26 GMT (UK) »
For all we know she may previously have had some still born babies and yes it akwats has been possible to have a naturally conceived baby in your forties..
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Offline ~buttons~

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Re: likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 28 January 21 22:13 GMT (UK) »
Yes of course it's a possibility

I have a couple, both over 40, first & only marriage, had their only child obviously late in life. The child lived to be 99.

Not necessarily normal or usual but it certainly happens.


Offline Viktoria

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Re: likelihood of a couple having their only child aged 40+
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 28 January 21 22:50 GMT (UK) »
My Mum was 41 when she had me.
 Dad  and Mum did not marry until he was 36 and she 37.
He was too ill to work after WW1,  was  unemployable  until  1933.

I know they were not married as young people  ,and there were circumstances why they married relatively late ,but my sister was born eleven months after they married In 1934 and I was born 1937.
Perhaps your people had some similar difficulties.
Forty is not a usual time for women to stop having children especially the time you speak of.More like fifty plus.
Depends on their biological clock.
My maternal grandmother had her last child 1910..grandma was born 1865
So 45 when that child  was born .
Viktoria.