I think moral attitudes varied depending on the position they held in society. Robert Ashton fathered at least four illegitimate children around 1820, two of them with my 3 x ggm. She was the daughter of a small farmer and the children seem to have been absorbed into her family. Many of my ancestors were farmers and there were many illegitimate children who don't appear to have disturbed anyone except the church authorities. I get the impression that my lot gravely agreed that illegitimacy was a sin, but privately didn't much care. A farmer could always feed his family and every pair of hands was useful on a farm.
Then we have the parish register notation - privately baptised, the natural son of Mr Briggs of Briggs Hall. Wouldn't want to upset the parish benefactor by calling his son a bastard, would you!
OC
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