Genealogy Chat

I know that Russian peasant lady Victoria mentioned is supposed to be ''verified'' information to be in the World Record books, but I'm not convinced that anyone could have so many multiple births and not have any too prem to survive. Apparently all but one of her 60-odd children lived to adulthood. I have two copies of the Guinness Book of Records that mention this family and give the dates 100 years apart!! From memory one book says mid-1700's and the other mid-1800's! I think the local village were doing a scam to get them some recognition from the czar! ''Lets say all these babies were born to Madam Vassilev''!! lol Then there's Mr and Mrs Jonas (James ands Mary, I think) of Chester, St Oswalds who were supposed to have had 15 sets of boy girl twins in the 1840's/1850's. I have found them on the census and seen some birth registrations......I think some of her babies may have been stillborn :o((.......One set were definitely two girls! I did some research for a friend with some rather well off ancestors........a young lady was the only child of a rich man so she was married off to a successful businessman when she was nearly 16 years of age (in about 1800). She had one baby a year until she had 12 children (still in her 20's).....she then dropped down to one every two years and had either 20 or 22 in the end. Apparently, the well-to-do sometimes had bigger families because apart from the mum being better nourished, if they used a wet-nurse to feed their babies they were not afforded the contraceptive effects of breastfeeding and so got pregnant again straight away! Merry

My ggrandmother had 12 in 17 years and all lived to adulthood but after Madam Vassilev that doesn't seem as much of an achievement as it did when I started reading this post. However after having two kids my descendants wont be adding my name to this list in years to come! Toni

At that rate, we're probably all one of hers! Here's one who's managed seven in three years: http://news(.)yahoo(.)com/s/ap/20060713/ap_on_fe_st/quad_babies Nell - mine were Evanses too!

.......... and then there was Madam Vassilev - four sets of quads, seven sets of triplets and eleven sets of twins. Not sure of the time frame - and no, I am not claiming her as one of 'mine'! LOL Victoria

Husband's great-grandparents in 1901 with their children: Jenkin Evans abt 1864 Margaret Evans abt 1867 Margaret A Evans Daughter 12 Evan T Evans Son 11 William D[avid] Evans 10 Jenkin L Evans Son 8 Lucy M Evans Daughter 7 Thomas H Evans Son 6 Blodwen M Evans 5 Edward M Evans Son 2 Martha S. 4 months They had at least 4 other children after this. nell

My gt-gt grandmother had 18 children in a 23 year span, although several died in infancy. I was amused to find her in a later census away from home and acting as 'nurse' to a new Mum - I would think with her experience, she was well qualified. Jay

My Grandmother had 6 in 8 or 9 years and died at 32 years old. Her own Mother only had 2 but died at 26.

One of my 2 x Gms had eleven children in 13 years. She died at the birth of the last one and she was 36 years old. My 6 x GGPs had 16 children in 20 years. All but two died young. OC

My aunty had 13 in 20 years (hubby was a good Catholic boy). Kath. x

My great-great-aunt had seven children - in the space of ten years. She'd have been pregnant more than half of that time; maybe she enjoyed it! Curiously, the first six were all boys and she stopped after the first girl.