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Bastardy: the British Experience

Bastardy: the British Experience

Illegitimacy in history from the medieval to the modern age - A one-day conference to be held at the University of Cambridge

Painting depicting mother with child The papers presented at this conference have since been published in a volume entitled 'Illegitimacy in Britain, 1700-1920', edited by Alysa Levene, Thomas Nutt and Samantha Williams (Palgrave, 2005).

Tuesday 6th January 2004

Speakers: John Black, Andrew Blaikie, Ros Davies, Tanya Evans, Eilidh Garrett, Paul Gray, Liam Kennedy, Steve King, Alysa Levene, Thomas Nutt, Alice Reid, Richard Smith, Samantha Williams, Bob Woods.

Themes for discussion: the stigma of bastardy, the socio-economic circumstances of mothers and fathers, the mortality of illegitimate children, charitable and welfare provision, paternal responsibility, the bastardy-prone sub-society, and bastardy in popular literature and culture.

There is a registration fee of £10. Students and researchers without full-time employment are exempt. Please apply (preferably by email) for a registration form from Thomas Nutt: twn21@cam.ac.uk or by post: Magdalene College, Cambridge, CB3 OAG, by 1st December 2003.

There will also be a conference dinner, at additional cost, followed by a round-table discussion. Please note that places are limited, and those interested in joining us for dinner are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

This conference is generously supported by the Ellen McArthur Fund (University of Cambridge), the Economic History Society and the Royal Historical Society.