Event Details

An online Study Event with Dr Alan Crosby of the British Association for Local History, featuring 8 pre-recorded half-hour presentations on aspects of illegitimacy, as well as a live Q&A session, to be held online from 2:00pm -3:00pm on Saturday 20 February 2021. Presentations available in advance.

For centuries, illegitimacy has not only carried a social stigma, but sometimes even occasioned harsh physical and financial penalties. The ‘single mother’ and her child were branded a social problem by generations of Poor Law officials. Yet willfully disobedient young people – and sometimes not so young people - wantonly carried on procreating outside marriage. In the early 20^th century, illegitimacy was a taboo subject – ‘not in front of the children’ – but the fact that it was as much a headache for township officers in the 1590s as it was in the 1890s proves, if proof were needed, that some things never change. This day school by Dr Alan Crosby of the British Association for Local History examines social and cultural attitudes towards both parents and children, showing how they were treated, private and public views about illegitimacy, and the way in which these evolved over time. It emphasises the human side of the picture, but there are plenty of revealing statistics drawn from parish registers and other official sources. We look at examples from across the region, and explore documentary sources that might shed light on these troubled family histories – or even our own.

This Study Event will include a range of pre-recorded video presentations, each about 30 minutes long and totalling roughly four hours. You can watch these at a time of your own choosing in the days leading up to Saturday 20 February – and then a one hour live Q&A session on the day itself starting at 2pm. Alan will be online to answer all your questions and comments, so book now. Nearer the date we will be sending out full information on how to access the videos and Q&A session to everyone who registers.

Presentations include:

Censure and condemnation? Official attitudes to bastardy in the 17th century

Illegitimacy in the 18th century: increasing prevalence...and pregnant brides

Some personal case studies: diaries, autobiographies and court records

142 per 1000: remarkable rates of illegitimacy in Victorian Cumbria

The speaker for all presentations is Dr Alan Crosby of the British Association for Local History.

Fee for this event: £18 (£16.20 for Friends and Patrons of the Centre)

Booking:If possible, please use the University’s online store to book your place/s http://online-payments.lancaster-university.co.uk/ and search under ‘Events’ and ‘Arts and Social Sciences’; you can find direct links on the Study Days and Events pages on our website http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/rhc/

Our events are extremely popular and many book up within the first few weeks. We strongly recommend that you book early to avoid disappointment. If you do have to cancel your booking, please give us five full working days’ notice and we will happily arrange a refund. Refunds can now only be made via electronic means. In order to issue a refund we need details of your account name, account number and sort-code. Payments made by card can be reimbursed via the same card details.