Joan, to prevent this label from being attached to a child, there was a fine Southern tradition that called for a young lady, in the early stages of pregnancy, to travel with her mother to some distant location "to care for a sick aunt" or some other worthwhile purpose. After the baby was born, they would return to announce that the aunt had recovered/passed away and, by the way, while they were there the daughter married a wonderful man and had a beautiful pre-mature baby. The new husband is away making his fortune in the north woods. A year or so later, the bad news would come that the imaginary husband had been killed in an accident, leaving the mother free to marry and live a happy life. But most important, the baby would grow up without the illegitimacy stigma.
Jim ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joan Best" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 10:19 AM Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Illegitimacy > It certainly was an offensive term at the time. If it was known that the > child was "illegitimate" [a term that actually appeared on birth > certificates] the child was often shunned. There were some, I suspect many, > "husbands" created on paper at the time the birth information was recorded > at the hospital, rather than labeling the child with such an offensive term. > This was not changed until the late 1960s or early 1970s in the United > States and it was changed because of the social stigma that was attached. > Personally I would never use the term. Indicating whether or not the > parents are married and when provides the same information, but in a way > that does not label the child. > Joan Best > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Donald Wingfield" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, July 04, 2002 7:46 PM > Subject: RE: [LegacyUG] Illegitimacy > > > > If you want to record your facts as true a possible record it as it is. > Why > > is it so offensive, it's fact of life that has been recorded for hundreds > of > > years. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of > > Kenneth Carkeet > > Sent: Thursday, July 04, 2002 7:31 PM > > To: Legacy User Group > > Subject: [LegacyUG] Illegitimacy > > > > > > Greetings. > > > > I need some advice on how to handle the question of recording illegitimacy > > when setting the status > > on children. Some people say to me that this word is offensive and would > > cause some embarrassment > > to those who are born this way, and therefore I should not use this word > in > > recording the status of > > children who are born this way. So this got me thinking how do other > people > > or family historians > > handle this rather sensitive issue. To record or not to record. That is > the > > question? What do you > > all think? > > > > Thank you for your advice > > > > Ken Carkeet > > > > To unsubscribe please visit: > http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > > > Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > > > > > > To unsubscribe please visit: > http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > > > Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > > To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp
