Observations on illegitimacy in the London parishes of St. Marylebone, St. Pancras, and St. George's, Southwark, during the year 1857 : deduced from the returns of the Registrar-General / by William Acton.

  • William Acton
Date:
[1859]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on illegitimacy in the London parishes of St. Marylebone, St. Pancras, and St. George's, Southwark, during the year 1857 : deduced from the returns of the Registrar-General / by William Acton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    The Occupation of the Fathers of the Children of the Single Women. Bakers 2 Coachmen 3 Keeper of f 1 Shopman .. 1 Blacksmiths .... 2 Collarmaker.... 1 Lunatics.. J Soldiers .. 7 Bookbinder .... 1 Costermonger 1 Labourers 20 Solicitor .. 1 Bricklayers .... 8 Dyer 1 Lathrender .... 1 Stoker .. 1 Butchers 4 Engineers 3 Leathercutter 1 Surgeon .. 1 Butters 2 French Po-1 •x Ostlers 2 Shoemakers .. .. 3 Cabinetmakers 3 lishers .... J Painter 4 Stonemasons.. .. 2 Cabmen 5 Gardeners 2 Policemen 2 Traveller .. 1 Carman 1 Gasfitter 1 Plasterer 1 Tailors .. 8 Carpenters .... 11 Gentlemen .... 6 Potmen 2 Undertaker .. .. 1 Carter 1 Greengrocer .... 1 Porters 4 Upholsterer .. .. 1 Carver 1 Grinder 1 Printer 1 Whitesmiths.. .. 3 Cigar Makers 2 Groom 1 Publican 1 Unknown .. 13 Clerks 6 Hairdresser .... 1 Railway Guard 1 Coachbuilder .. 1 Horsekeeper.... 1 Sailors 2 Total H-* 00 o Joiner 1 Servants 17 These were the fathers of the 180 illegitimate children born in the Workhouse of Marylebone, and 46 of whose deaths figure in the above returns of the Registrar-General. I only offer this table for what it is worth ; as indicating, to some extent, the position of the putative fathers of illegitimate children born in workhouses. I have no suspicion of misrepresentation by the woman, because when inter- rogated she voluntarily gives the address, as well as the position in life, of the father. As a general rule, few women who could father a child upon a gentleman, come into a workhouse. Such unmarried pregnant women, are usually confined by private practitioners, yet in the above list we find that “ 6 gentlemen,” “ 1 surgeon,” “1 solicitor,” were the fathers of illegitimate children born in the workhouse. It appears from the table, that no less than 20 persons, coming under the denomination of “ labourers,” were the alleged fathers of illegiti- mate children, which favours the position that the promiscuous herd- ing of the lower classes, contributes largely to corrupt the morals of the female poor. Male domestics next appear as the most numerous class of fathers; this is, quite, what one might expect, and if the specified “ 3 coachmen,” “ 2 butlers,” “ 2 gardeners,” and “ 1 groom,” are added to the list of unenumerated servants, it amounts to 25. Bearing in mind what has been shown in a preceding table, that 194 mothers were themselves domestics, it would appear as though the present system of keeping a large number of single men and women in households, is productive of a considerable proportion of illegiti- mate children. I next find 13 women stated that the father of their child was unknown. In a few, a very few, of these cases, 1 admit the female’s inability, out of a variety of paramours, to fix upon an individual, but I fancy it much more often happens that a woman in
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