Illegitimacy in the Highlands.....

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:18 pm

Does anyone have any statistics re illegitimacy in the Highlands in the 1800's.

In my families it seems that it was quite the norm. up until the 1900's. There's even a few then.

Jean

Post by **Tracey** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:48 pm

Hello Jean

I really dont know why some prattle on now about single mothers (except for the fact that they get money re the tax payer !) when, as we researching our family know there was a huge amount of illigitmacy way back. I for one admire these women and their families who had the added burden of an extra (or 3 !) child to feed and support without government help. So far i have found a huge amount of illigitimacy and my gt x 2 had 4 (found so far) who were farmed out to different family members to raise. But what impressed me most was my gt grandfathers sister was taking the father of her illigitimate child to court c1897 for maintenace and the result was she got £9 something but had to pay the lawyer £3.00 !!

Go girl ! I blame the lack of TV, what else was there to do on a cold winters night in Banff et al other places

But it would be intresting to balance statistics re then and now

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 1:08 am

Jean

I can readily quote you the national figure which was

Year Total Illegitimate
1855 93,349 7,357 (7.9%)
1861 107,009 9,929 (9.1%)
1871 116,128 11,077 (9.5%)
1881 126,214 10,466 (8.3%)
1891 125,965 9,647 (7.6%)
1895 126,454 9,146 (7.2%)

What variation there was from area to area I know not

There were, still are, annual reports from the Registrar General, and it could well be that these included regional statistics ..........

Of course, the above figures don't include the effect of well accepted fact that first pregnancies were most often shorter ........

David

tishgibbons · Post by **tishgibbons** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:40 pm

Jean,

I seem to remember on a visit to the ANESFHS premises in Aberdeen, seeing a pamphlet on illegitimacy. If I had known then what I know now about my ancestors I would have bought the book! Like your family, it seems to have been pretty common in the last century, amongst my Mitchells.

Best wishes to you for the New Year,

Tish

ps - I can't see any mention of that pamphlet on their publications list but maybe if you contact them directly they would be able to help.

Alcluith · Post by **Alcluith** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:07 pm

My Gran always said that my dad was at her wedding, took me a while to realise what she meant

Since starting doing my family research this seamed to be the norm for most of the marriages well into the 1940s except most wouldn't own up to the fact

$
Like David said the first born is always a short pregnancy

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:15 am

Alcluith wrote:My Gran always said that my dad was at her wedding, took me a while to realise what she meant .....snipped......

Ah cannae believe ye hidnae heard that yin afore

David

Alcluith · Post by **Alcluith** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:28 am

DavidWW wrote: Ah cannae believe ye hidnae heard that yin afore

David

I bit I wis only a loon at the time

and like planes these wee sayings went right o'er me heid

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 1:06 am

Alcluith wrote:
DavidWW wrote: Ah cannae believe ye hidnae heard that yin afore

David
I bit I wis only a loon at the time and like planes these wee sayings went right o'er me heid

Ah-hah

Compris, ma brave

David

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 3:41 pm

Hi All

The reason I asked the question is because a couple of weeks before Xmas I made a breakthrough in my family with a connection in America with the help of JustJean.

He e mailed me and said he would let me have his descendency from his great grandmother, and said he was so pleased that I had traced him. He asked if I would let him have details of the family history. I send him a typed copy of the side of the family that was of interest to him and to date........zilch

I just wondered if the high rate of illegitimacy had frightened the life out of him

He wasn't trying to trace his family tree, so would not be aware of the high rate of illegitimacy.

There may, of course, be another reason.

Jean