1888.] Mr G. Seton on Illegitimacy in Pa7nsh of Marnoch. 227 
Monday, March 1888. 
Sir william THOMSON, President, in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read : — • 
1. Illegitimacy in the Parish of Marnoch. By George 
Seton, Esq., M.A. Oxon. 
An examination of the Birth Eegisters pertaining to the parish of 
Marnoch, in Banffshire, for the ten years ended 1886, exhibits the 
following startling results : * — 
Year. 
Total Births. 
Illegitimate 
Births. 
1 
Paternity not 
acknowledged. 
Paternity 
acknowledged. 
Paternity found. 
Occupations of Mothers. 
Occupations 
of acknowd. 
Fathers. 
Domestic 
Servants. 
Farm 
Servants. 
Agricultl. 
Lab’rers. 
Miscel- 
laneous. 
Farm 
Servants. 
Miscel- 
laneous. 
1877, . 
103 
27 
26 
1 
1 
19 
4 
3 
1 
0 
1 
1878, . 
123 
26 
19 
7 
1 
18 
5 
3 
0 
5 
2 
1879, . 
108 
39 
34 
5 
1 
31 
4 
3 
1 
1 
4 
1880, . 
102 
24 
18 
6 
2 
19 
1 
1 
3 
3 
3 
1881, . 
108 
25 
17 
8 
2 
22 
0 
2 
1 
4 
4 
1882, . 
110 
26 
24 
2 
0 
21 
0 
3 
2 
1 
1 
1883, . 
102 
33 
24 
9 
0 
26 
0 
2 
5 
3 
6 
1884, . 
106 
24 
18 
6 
2 
21 
0 
1 
2 
4 
2 
1885, . 
109 
26 
23 
3 
1 
18 
1 
2 
5 
0 
3 
1886, . 
111 
27 
22 
5 
0 
22 
0 
3 
2 
3 
2 
Ten Years, 
1082 
277 
225 
52 
10 
217 
15 
23 
22 
24 
28 
Ann. Aver. 
108 
27-7 
22-5 
5-2 
1 
21-7 
1-5 
2 ’3 
2-2 
2-4 
2-8 
The most striking facts displayed in the preceding table are — 
In the average annual number of 108 births, the illegitimates 
amount to nearly 28 (27*7), or upwards of one-fourth of the whole; 
while in the year 1879 these births were considerably above one- 
third. 
2nd. During the ten years in question, the paternity was acknow- 
ledged at registration in 52 cases, and found by decree of Court in 
10 others — together 62 — ^.e., considerably less than one in four. 
Transcripts included and twins counted two. 
