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My Grandparents were married in 1896 only 8 weeks before thier eldest child was born.They were aged 25 and 26 and neither had been married before. Would this have been quite a common thing to happen at this time? I have checked and there were no deaths in the family and no wars that i'm aware off. I would be interested in members thoughts on this Lynne

yeah my great gran was pregnant with my nan when they got married too. i dont think it is uncommon cleo

More common than we would have been led to believe, and it fools a lot of people too! ''First child born 1890 MUST mean they were married before this''...... Wouldn't put money on it!! Jess

I have a lady who was 5 months pregnant at marriage. It was the right thing to do I suppose was the view back then!

Hi Lynne, My 4x Gt Grandmother had 6 children and put widow on 1841 census. (She never actually married - Led me a right dance!) I was born 6 weeks after my parents married(1958) - guess it always happened and always will ! You have to take anything you see or hear with a pinch of salt! Elaine x.

1809 my gt gt gt grandparents married and their first child was born less than a month later 1852 my gt gt grandparents got married in a register office and their first child was born just 3 weeks later. Virtually all my husband's Welsh lot had babies within 7 months of their marriages. A lot of brides might also have been pregnant and then miscarried or had stillbirths which would be unrecorded. I think it was very common. These were the days before easy access to information about contraception, let alone contraceptive devices themselves. nell

My Gt grandmother married 6 weeks before my grandfather was born, giving her age as 18 when she was actually only 16!! She was a fabulous person, lived to be almost 91 - but never did she and my Gt grandfather celebrate their wedding anniversary. It was common in those days. They believed in the 'try before you buy' approach. Victoria

My gg-grandmother got married when she was at least 4 months pregnant. If they were the eldest child with lots of siblings, the onus often fell on them to look after the younger ones. Times were sometimes tough, and I think they thought that it would be better to look after 1 child of their own, rather than a whole family of brothers and sisters. Getting pregnant was sometimes the only way out. Some parents wouldn't let their children get married either, because it also meant it was one less to look after the others and one less income etc., so they made them wait to see if they'd give the baby up for adoption.

Thanks everyone, it does seem to have been very common after all! I was a little suspicious, wondered whether in fact my grandfather had been the father of the child or if he was paid to marry Grandma, but as they all seem to be quite poor didn't seem possible. My cousin whose mother was the baby is quite horrified by this! Lynne

Lynne What's to be horrified about? I very much doubt if many people can trace their family tree back to about 1850 without finding at least one shotgun marriage and one illegitimate child lurking somewhere. It's all quite normal. I think probably attitudes towards illegitimacy hardened in the later years of the 19th century and were probably stronger in the town than in the country. I've got a greatgreat grandfather, widowed, on the 1881 census with his son and two daughters and a 'love-child'! Not sure whose she is, she was born in Cirencester Union, poor mite! nell

My gran and grandad got married in the April of 1902 and my aunt was born in the July

My husband's dad was born in 1908,his parents never married until 1916,he was an only child. Ann

Ann That was obviously a whirlwind romance that they rushed into! nell

Hi Nell. Yes you could say that,i dont know why they bothered Ann.

there are a few babies born before or quite soon after the wedding in my tree. I don't think premarital sex or kids born out of wedlock are a modern phenomenom at all!! Lisa

I have very very few in my tree who actually gave birth later than 9 months after.... my earliest gave birth the day after she married unless you want to count the one who gave birth 5 weeks after.... WAIT..... she gave birth to their 4th child together 5 weeks after they married.... ha ha And for years we have all been hearing 'It wouldnt have happened in our day' Aye Right!!! Shaz x

Still happens. My aunt was pregnant with one of my cousins before they married. Surprisingly enough, my cousin never realised it until my mum let it slip once (think she was 38 at the time). LOL. As for ancestors, I've got a few who were pregnant before they married. My great great grandmother in Ireland had 5 children all without named fathers (mind she never registered any of the births) and she was also 'single' on the 1901 and 1911 censuses. Chloe

On one side of my tree most of the ancestors were either illegitimate or the sons/daughters of illegitimate parents, so i think it very common. Not to get married unless you 'needed' too. Kim