What's the likelihood of this?

[JulesSmith]

First child found born 1802, last child found born 1826. With several in between.

24 year span seems like a lot to me.

the other bit that bothers me is that there is a big gap between one born 1806 and the next in 1819. There may be others inbetween but I haven't found them yet.

[kylejustin]

not unlikely or unheard of. i'd only be wondering if the parents would be getting to old for kids. one of my lot married in 1800, had a kid 1801, then not again till 1820, then 1824. she would only have been in her early 40's when the last one was born.

[Night Owl]

It depends how old the mother was when she had the first child. If she had the first child at say 16, she would still only have been 40 when she had the last one.

[Gwen@coggiecorner]

This is not unusual for that time I have families in my tree for example the
1st child was in 1876 and the 10th and last in 1899. Another fam the 1st in 1855 and the 8th last child in 1875.
That is only two familes I can remember they had such big families and if you think about it as they had so many kids it would have been over a longer period of time. Poor women!!!!

[Guest]

my nan had her first in 1899 and the last in 1926 which was the only one she had in Hospital she was 46 at the time and lived to be 99 and a few months

[lesley141]

Another option it may be a second marriage. I have one where the husband married again and the wife had the same first name as the first wife. Both the wives were born in the same village and only a couple of years apart.

[Harrys mum]

I have quite a few where the children span over 20 years from first to last for the same mother.

One of mine had me worried because there was a six year gap after several children then two more. I "assumed" they might have been eldest daughter's children, but then got the husband's service record and he was away most of the six year gap.........lol

[Just Barbara]

G.G.Granny produced children over a period of more than 20 years poor woman.

[JulesSmith]

Thanks for the reassurance guys. Had me a bit worried for a moment, but couldn't find any other explanation as couldn't find two other married people with same name in the same village.

[dicole]

I have a family with a big gap 1806 to 1815 - I just discovered that the father was a prisoner of war (Napoleonic Wars etc) in 1912, which explains why.

My ggf married twice 1835=ish and had three children, 1835, 1838 and 1842. Got remarried in 1847 and had children in 1847, 1860 and 1867, which seems really strange to me, but no explanation found yet.

[Mary from Italy]

There may have been a series of miscarriages or stillbirths between the live births.

[sally]

Yes Mary, one of mine had a healthy child then repeatedly suffered the loss of her children shortly after/during birth, before finally having success again some considerable time later.

[Penelope]

Redacted

[JulesSmith]

Just found 3 more baptisms to fill the gap woooo !!!

[LangleyValeSue]

My maternal Grandad's Mum had her first child in 1888 at the age of 20 and her last in 1910. They were born every 15 months - 2 years until my Grandad in 1900, then a 5 year gap until the next live child, then another 5 years until her last child was born when she was 42. I imagine there were other pregnancies between 1900 & 1910, but I haven't found any other live births for that period.