Born Out If Wedlock

[badwolf29]

why was it so important to be born into wedlock? why was it such a disgrace to be born out of it?

[badwolf29]

*OF

[calmck]

Inheritance from the male partner

[Buenchico]

Because having sex before marriage was viewed as a mortal sin, with any child born as a result of such sexual activity being perceived as 'a product of sin'.

[JimF]

It rather depends on time and place.

In mediaeval England, it was very common that a couple would test their fertility by having their first child before marriage. If the child proved health, then they would marry and have a load more.

In other places and times, religious puritanism taught that sex outside marriage was a sin, so a child born outside wedlock brought shame - butter ollocks.

[jno]

as JimF says, it wasn't always. The Victorians were quite keen on virgin brides, but earlier generations, especially in the countryside, were okay with the idea of checking fertility first.

Besides, they needed to keep warm

https://family.jrank.org/pages/186/Bundling.html

But in those cases premarital activity was to be validated by a wedding. Sometimes, amazingly enough, men would change their minds . You'll sometimes find illegitimate babies given their father's surnames as a middle name, just so the mother could make clear who was responsible.

[Ken4155]

Of course, anyone born out of wedlock nowadays is made to go and live in Blackburn.

[jno]

roughly half of British babies are born out of wedlock ... how big did you say Blackburn was again?

[barry1010]

In the UK any child born in wedlock is presumed in law to have been fathered by the husband and is entitled to be supported by the husband and inherit.
In Victorian times, outside marriage, a man could deny being the father and the child would have no claim.
Today of course it is easy to prove or disprove paternity.

Going back in history, though, the child was the responsibility of the father even if the parents weren't married under The Poor Law of 1733 - this was to reduce the burden on Parish Relief, public funds used to relieve poverty. Any father refusing to support his illegitimate child could be sent to prison.

This changed in The Bastardy Clause in the New Poor Law of 1834 which made illegitimate the responsibility of the mother until the child was 16. If she couldn't support the child it was the workhouse.

So rather than moral values it was money that channelled the attitudes of the time. This is a good read if you are interested:
http://people.loyno.edu/~history/journal/1989-0/haller.htm