Urodzenia pozamałżeńskie w podkrakowskiej parafii Raciborowice w XVII-XVIII wieku w świetle ksiąg metrykalnych

Abstrakt

Out-of-wedlock births in the near Cracow parish of Raciborowice in the 17th and 18th century, as recorded in the parish registers

The author of the text examined out-of-wedlock births in the 17th and 18th century in the Raciborowice parish, located northeast of Cracow, on the basis of the parish registers. There were approximately as many out-of-wedlock children baptised in the parish as in other rural parishes of the time. According to the author, the 5% rate of such events is a proof of under-registration of such baptisms. Clergymen entering the information to the registers sometimes by means of narration manifested their reluctance to baptise out-of-wedlock children. Birthfathers were rarely registered. Mothers of the out-of-wedlock children were either single or they co-habited with the fathers. Servants were most numerous among them. Moreover, the presence of women belonging to the group of loose people was related to the proximity of main routes and to the City of Cracow. It also affected the number of out-of-wedlock births.