Illegitimacy and Marriage in Eighteenth-Century England

Abstract

Illegitimacy and Marriage in EighteenthCentury England It is agreed by several writers that there was a steep rise in rate of illegitimacy in England between 1750 and I850. Problems and disagreements arise over reliability of statistics, and over interpretations or explanations which may be applied to them.1 Shorter claims that most important contributory factor was an increase in sexual activity, and in particular he asserts that during this period women were more inclined to indulge in fooling around (Shorter's expression). The implication of Shorter's argument is that it has always been men's intention to seduce as many women as possible while women, up to 1750, exercised restraint with regard to premarital sexual relations through fear of societal censure, parental sanctions, and pregnancy. His claim is that from 1750 to 1850 laissez-faire marketplace organization, capitalist production, and beginnings of proletarianization among work force were more important than any other factors in spread of sentiment. In other words, women, during this period of increasing urbanization and industrialization, were no longer feeling traditional restraints imposed by family and therefore felt able to indulge in premarital intercourse. At this time paid work, according to Shorter, gave women an inclination to escape sexual restrictions of their parents and also gave them possibility of doing so. He further states that, before 1750, sexuality served mainly instrumental objectives, such as procreation or establishment of an economic unit, rather than being seen as a means for gaining personal fulfillment. For unmarried women intercourse was often a means of gaining peace from an employer's persistent attentions, but after 1750 the libido unfroze in blast of wish to be free. Colorful though