In 1928, one man was charged by two different women, one who had already given birth, and another who was eight months pregnant. In that case, the man was required to swear a bond of affiliation for each child. Sometimes a man agreed to marry the woman. When that happened, the charges were dismissed. In 1927, one man decided to marry the woman after he had been sentenced to six months in jail. The couple went directly to church with a police constable and the man did not have to serve his jail sentence.

The bastardy laws only worked for young women who were thought of as "good girls." These laws were sometimes used to pressure young women into naming the fathers of their children. Relief officers knew they could get a woman off the welfare roles if the father of the child provided some support. So, even if a woman wanted to keep this a secret, she might be forced to name the father. The bastardy laws were enforced by the courts because they saved the government money.

How Things Changed

In the twentieth century, attitudes towards unmarried mothers began to change. The idea that an unwed mother is a sinful "fallen woman" has pretty much disappeared. Single women who are pregnant can now make choices for the future. In 1940, the first adoption laws were passed in Newfoundland. After 1944, the government set up a system of foster care for children, although we know this system did not always protect them from mistreatment and abuse.

Until 1970, the number of children born to unmarried women rose in Newfoundland. More of these children were born to teenagers under the age of 18.¹¹ At the same time, more unmarried mothers asked for some type of government help than ever before. Perhaps this was because teenaged mothers are more likely to need help than older women. But this was also because the government began to play a bigger role in social assistance, foster care, and adoption services. People came to expect this kind of help from the government.

After 1970, fewer unmarried mothers asked for government assistance in Newfoundland and Labrador. This is partly because birth is more likely to be a choice today. Women can use birth control or decide to have an abortion. If a woman does go through with her pregnancy and she cannot raise the child, she can give it up for adoption. Today, because women have those choices, we almost never see infanticide, concealment of birth or abandonment. These changes have made a big difference. In the early part of the twentieth century, no woman would choose to become an unmarried mother. Now, some women do.