Mother's daughter: a difficult journey within our genealogies
Key dates, useful registers: how to find information on a mother's daughter? And, if possible, on the unknown father?
© Gallica - BnF
In the last centuries, we spoke of a mother's daughter to designate any woman who had had one or more children outside the wedding. The case of these mothers is difficult, marked by fear and distress. To avoid dishonor, many were forced to hide their pregnancy, to give birth alone (or under the confidence of a midwife) or even to abandon their child.
A l’0xTHE0poque, l’avortement est puni par la loi - il doit rester secret mais il reste extr0xTHE2mement dangereux pour les m0xTHE1res qui n’ont, en plus, pas toutes les moyens de payer les services d’une « faiseuse d’anges ». C’est pourquoi, de nombreuses filles-m0xTHE1res se verront dans l’obligation d’abandonner leur enfant.
By searching various registers, even civil status, it is sometimes possible to find the biological father - who can recognize the child at the time of marriage a few years later. But that remains rare. Most often, even if the father is known in the village, he will never be worried. It remains for the young mother, dishonored, to find a man to marry. He could consider recognizing this child who is not of him at the time of marriage.
The journey of a mother-in-law and children in a few dates
1556 : To limit the number of infanticides following relationships and pregnancy outside marriage, an edict of Henri II makes pregnancy declarations for unmarried girls and widows compulsory. Women who do not comply with the death penalty.
1638 : The Saint Vincent de Paul Congregation founds the work of children found and establishes the placement of children in nannies to improve the situation of children's and abandoned children's children.
1793 : The Convention of August 9 makes the nation responsible for orphaned and abandoned children and provides, in each department, assistance to mothers-in-law.
1804 : The Napoleon code prohibits research in paternity (excluding pregnancy resulting from rape) and authorizes research in maternity by the child.
1811 : A decree provides for three categories of children collected in the hospices: children found, abandoned and orphans. At the same time, towers in the hospices of public assistance for abandoned children allow mothers to leave their child there by remaining anonymous. But they will be deleted in 1850 because deemed too incentive. They will be replaced by reception offices to try to offer solutions to young mothers in need.
Useful registers to find information on a mother girl
Have you just come across a birth certificate of an unknown father and are you looking for information on the mother? Here are some useful resources:
- Civil state, in search of marriage certificate, act of recognition or death certificate that could give you new indications.
- The registers of abandoned children, found and assisted, files on public assistance, maternal and infant protection - AUX AD, in the X series - Assistance and foresight, then in the 3X sub -series.
- THE service des archives de Notre-Dame de Charit0xTHE0 du Bon Pasteur - qui a 0xTHE0t0xTHE0 charg0xTHE0 de recueillir des jeunes filles mineurs en France, en Belgique et aux Pays-Bas.
- THE registre d’accouchement de filles-m0xTHE1res tenu par l’administration de l’hospice de la Charit0xTHE0 à Lyon - sous-s0xTHE0rie 5Q.
- THEs registres de d0xTHE0claration et d’inscription des accouchement, registres d’observations m0xTHE0dicales des accouchements et dossiers m0xTHE0dicaux - aux AD, s0xTHE0rie B ou s0xTHE0rie E, ou s0xTHE0rie HDEPOT, sous-s0xTHE0ries F et Q.
💡 There is un groupe Facebook uniquement d0xTHE0di0xTHE0 aux filles-m0xTHE1res en g0xTHE0n0xTHE0alogie, you could find help!