Genealogy Chat

This carries on right through the 20th century, basically until the stigma disappears in recent years. In days gone by the courts could enforce a 'bastardy order' which forced a father to pay for maintenance; 10s6d (not as previously said 30 shillings!) a week in the 1930s. So a father would only agree to be named if he was ready to support the woman, and sometimes fathers who were named contested this hotly. This business of maintenance goes right back into history so parish records are also affected in earlier times. Also remember some girls found a man to marry them and take on the child; if the child was born shortly after the marriage the father may not genetically be the husband, but will be listed as such on the certificate. A very high proportion of 'legitimate' first children were concieved out of wedlock and the father was surprisingly often a different man.