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Evolution of the volume of foundlings and legitimacy in Antequera, Malaga, between 1667 and 1700

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:41 +0000

The parish registers of Antequera, shown in the graph provided by the author, show how the number of foundlings in Antequera at the end of the 17th century only decreased. However, this decrease was directly related to the epidemic crisis of 1679 which altered the demography and life cycles, lowering the nuptiality and, consequently, the birth rate. The research reveals that in the year with the highest number of baptisms, 1676, legitimate children accounted for 89%, while illegitimate children constituted 11%. On the other hand, in the year in which the fewest baptisms took place, 1684, foundlings accounted for 14%, an increase of 3%. Thus, the rate of abandonment was inversely proportional to the number of births. Finally, the fin-de-siècle crisis did not lead to an increase in the abandonment rate as families needed more useful hands to boost their economy.

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Evolution of the volume of foundlings and legitimacy in Antequera, Malaga, between 1701 and 1750

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:41 +0000

The resource shows us the number of abandoned children, foundlings, that took place in Antequera (Malaga) in the first half of the 18th century. The data reveal that the annual average number of foundlings was 60, a figure that remained relatively stable throughout this chronological period. However, the number of abandoned children is inversely related to the number of baptisms: on the one hand, the maximum number of baptisms is found in 1745, when 1,058 children were sacramentalised; in this year, foundlings accounted for 8%. On the other hand, in the year in which the fewest baptisms were recorded, 1738, foundlings accounted for 11%. These dynamics follow the same trends as at the end of the 17th century, unlike the second half of the 18th century when the periods of fewer abandonments coincided with the lowest number of baptisms.

The post Evolution of the volume of foundlings and legitimacy in Antequera, Malaga, between 1701 and 1750 first appeared on History Lab.

Evolution of the volume of foundlings and legitimacy in Antequera, Malaga, between 1751 and 1803

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:41 +0000

The author reflects in the resource the evolution of foundlings throughout the second half of the 18th century. In these 50 years, the number of total baptisms showed a decreasing trend compared to the first half of the century, although the rate of foundlings fell to an annual average of 51. It was in this period at the end of the Ancien Régime when the trends of previous decades were reversed. From the 17th century onwards, it could be seen that the rates of foundlings were inversely related to the number of baptised children; from this time onwards, lower birth rates coincided with a low level of abandonments. Thus, in 1751, the year with the lowest baptismal registers, the number of foundlings was 7%, in contrast with other years of higher birth rates (in 1788 the abandonment rate was 10% and in 1802 it was 8%).

The post Evolution of the volume of foundlings and legitimacy in Antequera, Malaga, between 1751 and 1803 first appeared on History Lab.

Seasonality of foundling mortality in Tenerife, 1752-1794

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:41 +0000

The behaviour of the mortality of foundlings in Tenerife was conditioned by the passing of the seasons, as during the harshest months of the year, in winter and summer, temperatures reached their extremes on the island and a higher mortality of abandoned children was recorded. Accordingly, in January there was an increase in the number of deaths due to respiratory illnesses (colds and flus), aggravated by the poor condition in which the children arrived at the centre after their journey. In spring, on the other hand, there was a slight decrease in mortality, favoured by the improvement in temperatures where conditions between abandonment and transfer to the crèche were more favourable. However, particularly in July, the number of deaths increased due to infectious diseases and the harshness of the conditions in which remission took place. After the summer heat, in autumn and at the beginning of winter, the number of deaths stabilised. At this level, and in relation to the particularities of the island’s economic and social life, parallels can be found with the situation experienced in Salamanca, London and Florence.

The post Seasonality of foundling mortality in Tenerife, 1752-1794 first appeared on History Lab.

Progressive mortality (%) of foundlings in La Laguna (Tenerife) during the first years of life, 1752-1780

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:41 +0000

The high mortality rate of foundlings recorded in 18th century Tenerife at the Casa de la Cuna de La Laguna was not so much due to the poor physical conditions in which they arrived at the institution as to the fragility and continuing economic hardship. These determined, for example, the absence of internal milkmaids, which meant that the children had to wait for one or more days until they were handed over to the external milkmaids. On the other hand, the mere exchange of the administrator resulted in the emergence of internal problems in the functioning of the incluse, such as the under-recording of infant mortality. The institution’s economic and administrative fragility must have been external, with a strong impact on the chances of survival of the children in its care.

The post Progressive mortality (%) of foundlings in La Laguna (Tenerife) during the first years of life, 1752-1780 first appeared on History Lab.