ABSTRACT
This is the first-ever book to explore illegitimacy in Wales during the eighteenth century. Drawing on previously overlooked archival sources, it examines the scope and context of Welsh illegitimacy, and the link between illegitimacy, courtship and economic precarity. It also goes beyond courtship to consider the different identities and relationships of the mothers and fathers of illegitimate children in Wales, and the lived experience of conception, pregnancy and childbirth for unmarried mothers. This book reframes the study of illegitimacy by combining demographic, social and cultural history approaches to emphasise the diversity of experiences, contexts and consequences.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|62 pages
Prevalence and Causes
chapter 2|30 pages
Complicated Relationships and Diverse Identities
part II|50 pages
The Mortality Penalty
part III|74 pages
The Experience of Pregnancy and Childbirth for Unmarried Mothers