Unnamed fathers .outside the box thinking

[Ayashi]

1 pitfall is to assume the father was a similar age to birth mother

And unlike a woman he can't be ruled out as being too old either, necessarily. Perhaps unlikely for someone of significant age to father a child but by no means impossible... Which gives you a lovely range between about 16 and 100. When it comes to the unknown father of my widowed ancestor's child, its very tempting to point the finger at men of a similar age to her in the suspect family but in reality, as a 21 year old orphaned widow who lost her baby as well as her husband and parents, I imagine the idea of an older man who was mature and more financially/socially settled would be an attractive option for her future... if she could just secure his commitment with a baby...?

That said, I can't rule out that a 21 year old impoverished orphaned widow (who ended up giving birth in the workhouse) wasn't forced to supplement her income, if you see what I mean. Her customers of such occupation could be any age as well... It's also an assumption (admittedly a preferred assumption!) that the woman got any say in the father. Any scenario for a single mother pregnancy in modern times is possible for a single mother pregnancy in those times (barring creative scientific mix-ups, obviously...)

[coombs]

I have an ancestor who wed in Oxford in 1765 and he was a college servant and a publican and died in 1769. His surname was usually found in Dorset or Sussex. The wife was 28 in 1765 and when they wed by license he said he was "over 21" so any age between 21 and 90 perhaps.

Women having children in those days in their late 40s and early 50s, while not impossible, is quite unlikely. often it was an illegitimate grandchild.

[Biggles50]

It's very interesting biggles

At the moment I'm concentrating on helping people who need help finding closer relatives and giving tips because I know I can help with that .

1 pitfall is to assume the father was a similar age to birth mother

Last night's WDYTYA was a good example of that.  Paddy McGuinness' grandfather was born 100 years before Paddy and Paddy's father was also significantly older than his mother

We have just watched it.

Probably one of the best episodes ever, Paddy looked generally stunned and delighted at the various findings.

Do watch.

[brigidmac]

Ayashi I've just been sent a report of a policeman who was disciplined for taking advantage of a workhouse woman .she was named but I couldn't find what became of her or the baby

[coombs]

I have a further 3 ancestors born inbetween 1801 and 1822 in Essex, Sussex and Berkshire who were baseborn and no record of any likely father has been named. The Berkshire one had 2 younger illegitimate siblings (maybe half siblings). The Sussex one was removed from Twineham to Bolney shortly after having her illegitimate child. The child married in Bolney in 1818 and the mother seems untraceable after 1801 though.

[Ayashi]

Ayashi I've just been sent a report of a policeman who was disciplined for taking advantage of a workhouse woman .she was named but I couldn't find what became of her or the baby

Would be quite the coincidence if she was mine! 

[coombs]

Also bridal pregnancies usually meant shotgun wedding, knobstick wedding or betrothal/proof of fertility but not in all cases, as we know just because a woman wed when she was pregnant to a man it does not always mean the baby was his. I wonder how many women were abandoned by fiancee or he died or was unable to marry her and another man stepped in to save her from being an unwed mother.