Genealogy Chat

Melvyn, I think your family, and the last few replies show how badly history is taught in schools lol. We're all taught how 'puritanical' people were then - it's obviously a pack of lies!!!!!!! maggie (whose g grandparents had 9 children before they married) the 10th (and last) was legitimate!! And a few children from various families who appear to have the lodgers surname as a second name lol

I suppose it makes all of our tree's interesting

Melvyn got similar in my husbands tree. Woman living with her 4 children (all illegitimate) but all listed on 1871 census under their fathers name. Two years later she married him just weeks before giving birth to their 5th child. On top of this she takes on board another of his illegitmate children (born to another woman) and then they have two more themselves. So 1881 census shows her living with 8 children, 4 of whom were born before they married, his illegitimate who was also born before they married and three that were born after they married. He wasnt home on the night of the census either?? Hmmm wonder what he was up to?? Shaz x

I have a a few in mine,the daughter is the housekeeper, after mum died. marion

It could happen because husbands / wives left each other but there wasn't divorce and remarriage. Joy

At least it is not just my family

On the youngest childs marriage cert. the father is down as the the father but has the women's surname

but there eldest child was 13 in 1851

Living in sin? marion

What is the chance of an unmarried women living in 1851 with a unmarried man. She has 4 children living with her, and have her surname but the children are all fathered by the unmarried man? I have come across this in my family history