stanmapstone - thanks.
Maybe the widespread belief about fallen daughters being shown the door or bringing shame upon the family is wrong? Certainly the girls who had illegitimate children in my family were not and went on to marry and have families. They lived in small villages/towns so their past would not have been a secret.
I would agree, my family is the same as yours and even when the mother didn't/couldn't look after them the rest of the family seemed to share the responsibility of looking after the children and they stayed in the extended family.
