His mighty arm, pluck'd from its dark domain
This throne of freedom, lifted it to light,
Girt it with silver cliffs, and call'd it Britain;
He did, and will preserve it."
C. B.
Twenty-seven Children (Vol. v., p. 126.).
—To E. D.'s Query, "whether there is any well-authenticated instance of a woman having had more than twenty-five children?" something like a reply will be found in the following paragraph, which formed one of a series of "Curious Extracts," in the Edinburgh Antiquarian Magazine (1848):—
"'Extraordinary Number of Children.—The following extraordinary, yet well-attested fact, is copied from Brand's History of Newcastle, lately published. The fact is mentioned and corroborated by a quotation from an Harleian MS. No. 980-87. A weaver in Scotland had, by one wife, a Scotch woman, sixty-two children, all living till they were baptized; of whom four daughters only lived to be women, but forty-six sons attained to man's estate. In 1630, Joseph Delavel, Esq., of Northumberland, rode thirty miles beyond Edinburgh, to be satisfied of the truth of this account, when he found the man and woman both living; but at that time had no children abiding with them. Sir John Bowes and three other gentlemen having, at different periods, taken each ten in order to bring them up; the rest also being disposed of. Three or four of them were at that period (1630) at Newcastle.'—European Magazine, Dec. 1786."
But, of course, the question still arises, can this wonderful instance be recognised as "a well-attested fact?"
R. S. F.