ABSTRACT
This chapter summarises the central findings of the book in relation to the initial aims of the study, and restates the overall argument: that illegitimacy in Wales was a complex phenomenon that cannot be attributed to a singular cause. Furthermore, the experiences of conception, pregnancy and birth varied considerably, and was not isolated to the lowest orders of society alone. By exploring the varieties of experience, this book contributes to our broader understanding of the social and cultural history of Wales during the eighteenth century. This chapter identifies some of the limits of this study, and sets out areas for future research, including additional geographic locations, and the experiences of motherhood, fatherhood and childhood for illegitimate children and their parents.
