This study analyzes illegitimate children. The children’s mother’s occupation, if their fathers are unknown or not are some of the study’s main questions. The study’s questions examine in sixteen parishes, nine from Boberg district and seven from Finspång county district. The investigations period is 1860-1949, divided into four different periods. This is a comparative study in time perspective. The purpose of this study is to analyze the proportion of illegitimate children in the different parishes, compare them to each other and then to the proportions inthe entire country.

The study shows that a smaller number of illegitimate children was born in the sixteen parishes then in the entire country. The unmarried mother’s profession was maid in most of the parishes from 1860 to 1894. The later time periods show more professions for the mothers. This study as similar others on the field proves that the majority of the illegitimate children’s fathers were unknown. The fact that a great number of fathers were unknown often put the unmarried mothers in a difficult economic and social situation.