number of pregnancies/children

[FosseWay]

My documented maximum is 17 children borne by one woman (twice in my tree and in both cases involving no twins). For one of these (interestingly from the 16th century) I have names and baptismal dates for all 17 so I'm as confident as you can be that far back that this is right. The other is from the stated number of children born alive in the 1911 census, but I can only undisputably find 11. The surname is a common one, so I can't find children who were born and died between censuses without spending a sum the size of the national debt on certificates!

However, there is a statement in Burke's Peerage for one of my lines that one of my relatives had 20 children. I know of 14 and it is biologically possible for the remaining six to be interspersed between these 14 and to have died young, but from previous experience I know that BP often includes rather random facts that seem to have their basis in rumour rather than fact.

My GG grandfather was one of 15, including three sets of twins.

[Jellis]

Dear Lisa

I'd love to know the title and author of the book you are reading.  I am fascinated by social history.

Janet

[Kim1980]

Call the Midwife or Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth 

[Jellis]

Thanks very much!

I'll put it on my Christmas list.

Sorry to mention the festive season so soon but S**nsb*rys have Christmas cakes in this week. 

Janet

[Pebbles Kernow]

Hi

My ex-MIL was one of 18, all of whom survived. She was born in 1940 as child number 12. No idea what job her father did but there didn't seem to be any break during the war years   

Sorry to mention the festive season so soon but S**nsb*rys have Christmas cakes in this week. 

M****son had festive chocolates on one side of the aisle and summer garden stuff on the other side of the same aisle this week and just down from the festive stuff was the back to school bit. Talk about covering all bases 

Pebs

[Finley 1]

These stores make out they do it to boost our happiness levels... ha.... its to boost their darn sales...!?!?!?

I know we need a booooost after such a long hot  summer and the possibility of an equally long freezing cold winter  --  but they cant fool me anymore... I walked into our wonderfully recently RE-furbished A da to find TWO double sided aisles of BOOZE in all varietys -- and at 7.00 a.m people were buying it???  I only went in for essentials..... like bread milk and ciggies (ssshhhhh)   

xin

[joanna69]

Call the Midwife or Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth 

I've just ordered it from Amazon.  Sounds fascinating. 

[danuslave]

My great grandmother Ellen had 16 children (no twins). Married at 16 years 4 months, her first child was born less than 6 months later.  The last was born when she was 43, and she was 77 when she died, having outlived her husband by 25 years!  Not all the children were alive at the same time and only 10 survived to adulthood.

According to my grandmother (a daughter-in-law) she was a bit of a battleaxe - hardly surprising really   

Linda

[Lemontree]

My great granny had 15 children, starting in 1890 and by 1911 had given birth to 15 babies, 7 had lived and 8 had died  I know that she was pregnant with number 16 when the 1911 census was taken and gave birth to a girl who survived and in 1914 she gave birth to a son who was her last baby and he lived until the age of 60.

My great granny died in 1960 aged 90 year old