Author Topic: Bridal pregnancies?  (Read 8042 times)

Offline coombs

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Bridal pregnancies?
« on: Friday 29 January 21 22:53 GMT (UK) »
I, as I am sure many other do in FH, will find lots of instances of brides being pregnant at the time of marriage, some of them just pregnant, and others in advanced stages of pregnancy.

I was just discussing this on another thread about my several times great gran who married in May 1784, and gave birth to her first child on the 15th July 1784. Conception date about October 1783, and married at 7 months pregnant. She lived in Bethnal Green, her dad was a Bethnal Green weaver. The man she married in 1784 was also a Bethnal Green weaver 9 years her senior. The child born in July 1784 is my direct ancestor, who later became a cotton winder, and herself was 7 months pregnant when she married in 1806. Like mother, like daughter.  ;D

I know most instances the groom probably was the father, as in a shotgun wedding, but there was a percentage of pregnant women who found a man to marry who was not the blood father, so as to try and look respectable. Maybe she had a fling with a man or a trial marriage that did not work out. Or he took fright at fatherhood and did a moonlight flit and was never seen again by the woman who was expecting his baby.





Researching:

LONDON, Coombs, Roberts, Auber, Helsdon, Fradine, Morin, Goodacre
DORSET Coombs, Munday
NORFOLK Helsdon, Riches, Harbord, Budery
KENT Roberts, Goodacre
SUSSEX Walder, Boniface, Dinnage, Standen, Lee, Botten, Wickham, Jupp
SUFFOLK Titshall, Frost, Fairweather, Mayhew, Archer, Eade, Scarfe
DURHAM Stewart, Musgrave, Wilson, Forster
SCOTLAND Stewart in Selkirk
USA Musgrave, Saix
ESSEX Cornwell, Stock, Quilter, Lawrence, Whale, Clift
OXON Edgington, Smith, Inkpen, Snell, Batten, Brain

Offline Kiltpin

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Re: Bridal pregnancies?
« Reply #1 on: Friday 29 January 21 23:59 GMT (UK) »

 but there was a percentage of pregnant women who found a man to marry who was not the blood father, so as to try and look respectable.
 

Well ... she would have to be a pretty damn good cook for a man to knowingly and willingly take on another man's child.   

Regards 

Chas
Whannell - Eaton - Jackson
India - Scotland - Australia

Offline Rosinish

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Re: Bridal pregnancies?
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 30 January 21 01:36 GMT (UK) »
Nothing has changed over the years!  :D

Annie
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

"OLD GENEALOGISTS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR CENSUS"

Offline Johnf04

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Re: Bridal pregnancies?
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 30 January 21 05:32 GMT (UK) »
My wife's maternal great grandmother was married on 31st January 1887, and produced her first child on 10th February 1887. She was 17. Her husband was a friend of her older brothers.
Farrell  - Ayrshire
Cairns - Ayrshire
McCann - Ayrshire
Brown - Ayrshire
Petty - Yorkshire, Durham
Lucas - Staffordshire, Durham
Whitaker - Yorkshire
Thackrah - Yorkshire
Stephenson - Durham
Marshall - Yorkshire
Walker - Staffordshire, Southland New Zealand
McCullough -  Antrim, Southland New Zealand,
Cavanagh - Galway, Southland New Zealand
Anthony - Tipperary, Southland New Zealand
Bath - Cornwall, Tasmania, Southland
Brungot - Alesund, Norway; Southland
Bonthron - Fifeshire, Southland


Offline Nic.

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Re: Bridal pregnancies?
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 30 January 21 08:02 GMT (UK) »
One of my direct ancestors was illegitimate, in fact his mother had 2 children before her marriage.  I thought nothing of this until a few years ago I came across another set of marriage banns for her.  They were from before the birth of her 1st child and they were to the man she later married. 

So I will always be wondering what happened, were they his children, if they were I could have grown up with a completely different surname.  A question which will only be answered by a DNA match.

Nic

Offline dowdstree

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Re: Bridal pregnancies?
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 30 January 21 13:20 GMT (UK) »
Many years ago whilst having a few drinks in the pub my uncle told my dad that he had been at their parents wedding. Dad thought his brother was blethering and a bit tipsy.

Fast forward a few years to when I started researching my family history. Yes, my uncle had been quite correct. They married on 7th October 1912 and he was born on 12th January 1913.

Dorrie
Small, County Antrim & Dundee
Dickson, County Down & Dundee
Madden, County Westmeath
Patrick, Fife
Easson, Fife
Leslie, Fife
Paterson, Fife

Offline Viktoria

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Re: Bridal pregnancies?
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 30 January 21 18:00 GMT (UK) »
The kettle was often on in the Vestry !
A Midwife attended my wedding, not out of necessity but she had delivered me and always attended “ her “babies’  weddings if possible .Home births the norm in those far off days.
My brother in law was making his speech as best man ,so said” Well I have heard of shotgun weddings but this is ridiculous!”
Viktoria.

Offline coombs

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Re: Bridal pregnancies?
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 30 January 21 21:30 GMT (UK) »
I think a lot of it was a trial marriage, or they waited until a pregnancy took place, or they could not afford it when the bride to be announced she was expecting, and had to wait a bit until the bride was further into her pregnancy before they tied the knot.

Researching:

LONDON, Coombs, Roberts, Auber, Helsdon, Fradine, Morin, Goodacre
DORSET Coombs, Munday
NORFOLK Helsdon, Riches, Harbord, Budery
KENT Roberts, Goodacre
SUSSEX Walder, Boniface, Dinnage, Standen, Lee, Botten, Wickham, Jupp
SUFFOLK Titshall, Frost, Fairweather, Mayhew, Archer, Eade, Scarfe
DURHAM Stewart, Musgrave, Wilson, Forster
SCOTLAND Stewart in Selkirk
USA Musgrave, Saix
ESSEX Cornwell, Stock, Quilter, Lawrence, Whale, Clift
OXON Edgington, Smith, Inkpen, Snell, Batten, Brain

Offline Colin Cruddace

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Re: Bridal pregnancies?
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 30 January 21 22:16 GMT (UK) »
There's also the case of bound apprentices, many of whom were prohibited from marriage until bond conditions had been met, which was usually age 21 or after 7 years. It might be several years after that when they could afford to marry.

Colin