Deviant Maternity

Illegitimacy in Wales, c. 1680–1800.

This book explores the link between courtship, economic precarity and increasing levels of illegitimacy in 18th-century Wales. It also considers the diverse identities and relationships of the parents, and the lived experience of conception, pregnancy and childbirth for unmarried mothers.

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.