Author Topic: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?  (Read 5601 times)

Offline Nanna52

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Re: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?
« Reply #18 on: Sunday 28 March 21 02:30 BST (UK) »
Through DNA I have linked to a family with many people who do not know who their biological father or grandfather is.  I wonder how many men there are out there with illegitimate children.  The women are left with the children and the men are free.
James -Victoria, Australia originally from Keynsham, Somerset.
Janes - Keynsham and Bristol area.
Heale/Hale - Keynsham, Somerset
Vincent - Illogan/Redruth, Cornwall.  Moved to Sculcoates, Yorkshire; Grass Valley, California; Timaru, New Zealand and Victoria, Australia.
Williams somewhere in Wales - he kept moving
Ellis - Anglesey

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Online KGarrad

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Re: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?
« Reply #19 on: Sunday 28 March 21 11:45 BST (UK) »
There are 2 factors at play here:

1. Lack of contraception.
2. The difficulty, and cost, of divorce.

Many couples just lived together, because one or other was still legally married, and divorce wasn't an option.
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline wilcoxon

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Re: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?
« Reply #20 on: Sunday 28 March 21 13:17 BST (UK) »
I found  " :Joe Smith " in Lincolnshire was illegitimate,  as was his mother" Rosie Smith"  who married another man a few years later so presumably not the father.
Joe was brought up by his step father  "Brown"  and used his surname for his marriage and for his children.
Two missing generations of males.

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Offline coombs

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Re: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?
« Reply #21 on: Sunday 28 March 21 14:09 BST (UK) »
In 1801 my ancestor Mildred (Amelia) Wickham was born in Twineham, Sussex to an unwed mother born 1779 in Bolney. The mother never married as far as I know but she seems to vanish off the radar sometime afterwards. Maybe she did marry, or she emigrated.
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 BillyF

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Re: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?
« Reply #22 on: Sunday 28 March 21 15:00 BST (UK) »
I also found a child who was  recorded on the parish records  as born illegitimately, but his parents married soon afterwards. The family that descends from this boy , 4 generations, all have the mother`s surname as their surname.

Offline coombs

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Re: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?
« Reply #23 on: Sunday 28 March 21 16:18 BST (UK) »
An unexpected pregnancy often lead to a shotgun wedding but if the father was already married, the mother was often stumped. Or if the father ran away the moment he found out he was to become a father and emigrated to America or Australia leaving the mother up a creek without a paddle.
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 Andrew Tarr

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Re: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?
« Reply #24 on: Monday 29 March 21 12:52 BST (UK) »
I wonder how many men there are out there with illegitimate children. 

Some get to be prime minister ...  :D :D
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Offline Guy Etchells

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Re: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?
« Reply #25 on: Monday 29 March 21 16:29 BST (UK) »
I wonder how many men there are out there with illegitimate children. 

Some get to be prime minister ...  :D :D
Probably less than the number of women with illegitimate children, as it was more common for men to sleep around than women.
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Offline Minimoo

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Re: Multiple illegitimate children: how unusual?
« Reply #26 on: Monday 29 March 21 16:42 BST (UK) »

I remember several years ago reading through some baptism registers.For one entry the vicar had written "Another of Mary X's little bastards "