Just a comment in regard to NPE mention in an earlier post.?
Several years ago a local family historian in my home area (The Free State of North Staffordshire) advised me to check the excommunication and penance lists in local Parish Registers when investigating NPEs - particularly dates on or around the relevant child's birth.?
I don't know how common these are generally, but I've come across them in two of the Staffs Registers I was intertested in, (Norton-le-Moors and Alstonefield registers), so it seems to have been a thing in that area, at least at certain times.?
His theory was that who the father was, was often known by everyone the village and if the child survived to term, that was it - you're guilty in the eyes of God of fornication or adultery, so the wrath of the local Vicar was felt.?
This seems to have been applied to the father rather than the mother - perhaps due to him being possibly an adulterer, or maybe the mother was less likely to be excommunicated for the sake of the child (I'm speculating and have no idea really).
?
We've plenty of NPEs in the family, including my mum (who isn't remotely precious about any of this stuff). I suspect her dad was Welsh but this information is classified Restricted - Sensitive.
