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Archiver > NIR-DOWN > 2002-06 > 1023859889


From: "Sarah Martin" <>
Subject: Re: [NIR-DOWN] Re: Illegitimate Births
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 15:31:29 +1000
References: <1bb.1d86ca3.2a377129@aol.com>


I think we are looking at this naming of illegitimate babies from modern
eyes. Today when a large proportion of people are living together
unmarried, they seem to assume the status of husband and wife anyway and the
children are named after the father's surname, but 60 or 70 years ago in
Ireland it was a terrible disgrace and a stigma to have a child out of
wedlock, and the mother had no right to give the child the father's name.
She might have disclosed his name, but would not have the right to use it.

Sarah
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 1:28 AM
Subject: [NIR-DOWN] Re: Illegitimate Births


> The comment that was made about the children of unwed mothers being given
the
> mother's surname in Ireland apparently was also true in England during the
> same time period. I have a great-great-grandmother who had four
illegitimate
> children before she ever married, and each was given her maiden name. In
the
> case of my great-grandmother (the third of the four), the father's name is
> listed on the birth record, but the child was still given the mother's
name.
> Interesting!
>
> Kathleen
>
>
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