The Southern herald., 1913-08-22
THE EARTH
EXAMPLES OF OBEDIENCE TO
INCREASE AND MULTIPLY"
TWO English Families That Are Able
To Boast Of Twenty-Five "LlttIe"
ones-Scotsman Father of
Thlrty-slx Children.

Recently two extraordinary cases
OF very numerous offspring in the
same family were recorded in the
English press, and these attracted
great attention at the time. One was
that of Mr. and Mrs. Rogers of CHS
wick, who can boast a family Of no
fewer than 20 little" ones, though
these are by two mothers, the pres
ent Mrs Rogers being the second
wife of Mr.. Charles of that ilk, who
is a well-known builder in the dis.
trict. The proud father, aged seven.
ty-four, might have been seen carry.
ing his latest infant to its baptism a
week or two ago, and Chiswick sup
porters did due honor to the occa.
sion.
The other case was that of Mr.. r.
A. Slack Of Purley, Surrey, who curl.
ously enough as a coincidence, can
also claim to be the father OF 29 chill.
dren; and in this instance the wri.
ter believes, too, that Mr.. Slack can
boast that these "3O save /" are still
all alive. Naturally there have been
the usual jokers astir, who got in the
old wheeze about SLACK by name
but not by nature" though the good.
natured and popular man at PurIey
takes everything in excellent part,
and remains naturally very proud Of
his numerous progeny.
Capital as these examples are, as
showing that even in the age of bish-
ops and judges who rail at the de-
caying birth rate, yet the nation is
not wholly going to the dogs in this
matter, the instances mentioned do
not form anything like record" for
our country in this fashion.
There was that stalwart Scot hail
ing from Cromarty, Mr.. Thomas Ur-
quhart, who not only knew himself
as the father Of SO children, but had
the supreme satisfaction of living to
see large number of them gain very
high positions and became quite emil
nent. OF the SO no fewer than rs
were sons-quite an unusual proper.
ton of the kind
Sunderland just now seems to be
trying to either break the record in
another way, or to qualify in decent
time for place amongst the notables
already mentioned For the wife of
small shopkeeper in the Wearslde
town last month presented her spouse
with twins, which would have salts.
fed most fond parents as the product
of one twelve months. However,
when it is learned that this same
good lady had already borne another
set Of twins less than year previ.
ously, one may be forgiven for say.
ing that, at the rate of -four year"
to such youthful couple, the claims
of Mr. Rogers, Mr. Slack or even Mr.
Urquhart appear in much danger Of
being soon excelled.
In the annals Of Numerous Chill
dren," by Boyle, there is a case given
Of Paris lawyer who had no fewer
than as; and history also states Of
21 children born at seven births, and
all within the astonishingly short space
Of seven years. What a family this
would have been for winning the good
graces of the prelate of London, OIL
the former bishop of Ripon!
OF course, the actual record" &c
far as authentic history can give II
at all, surely belongs to Signora
Granta, the wife Of an Italian living
at Barcelona. This real mother il
Israel" did her duty so nobly to thu
state that, at the age of sixty she
could look round ard count something
like 40 olive branches who were al
delighted as possible to call he
mother"
Signora Granta undoubtedly hold
the record still; and our English par
ents of 29-nay, even the Scottisl
one Of 36-will have long way to g
to overtake It.