Friday, August 1, 2014

Friday Funny - 18 Kids & No Reality Show!


While helping my students do some research for their family history projects, I found this source. While scrolling through and perusing the names, I happened on the family of John & Sarah (Winslow) Morrell. They were Quakers and had eighteen children born between 1758 and 1784. I know large families were common in colonial times and I don't even bat an eyelash at twelve to fourteen children but at fifteen or more with one wife is pretty rare in my research. I start to look at the names of the children and notice the ones at the end seem to take a turn - or is it just my quirky sense of humor? 

  1. Abigail
  2. Kesiah
  3. Peter
  4. Joseph
  5. Benjamin
  6. William
  7. Sarah (Twin)
  8. John (Twin)
  9. (Unnamed, stillborn)
  10. Hope - hmm...as in "I hope this is the last one?"
  11. Hope - born two years after the previous Hope
  12. Joseph
  13. Enoch - as in "enough already?"
  14. Hannah
  15. Peace - as in "For the love of God, I just need some peace!"
  16. Content - as in "In case you didn't understand, I am content with what I have!"
  17. David - (Twin)
  18. Thankful - as in "I am so thankful that I will not be having any more children?" (Twin)

    Sarah died in 1793 at the age of 52. At that point her children would span ages 9-35 if they all were living. She was 17 when her first child was born and 43 when the final twins were born.