At most five out of twelve children reached adulthood

Our ancestors lived in incomparably worse conditions than we do in today's advanced modern world. Medical knowledge was at a significantly lower level, antibiotics and vaccinations did not exist, epidemics, famines, and dependence on the current harvest, lower quality of housing, and other factors contributed to high mortality rates. Infant and youth mortality rates were also high, with the result that only a fraction of children lived to adulthood. This was also the case for the family of František Malý from Hlupín and his wife Anna, born Vachušková from Sedlo.

A total of 12 children were born to Anna and František between 1798 and 1818. Seven of these twelve children are known to have lived only to a very young age, some only a matter of days:

1) Matouš (born in 1798): age at death unknown,

2) Kateřina (1800-): age at death unknown,

3) František (1802–1802) lived to be less than ten months old,

4) Josef (1803–1807) lived to be just under four years old,

5) Anna (1806–1806) lived to be 21 days old,

6) Marya, Anna's twin (1806–1806), lived to be less than two years old,

7) Jan (1808–1809) lived to be just over a year old,

8) Marya (1810–1813) lived to be just over three years old,

9) Josef: age at death unknown,

10) František (1814–1814) lived to be one day old,

11) František: age at death unknown,

12) Karel: age at death unknown.

It is likely that five children lived to adulthood, but this is not certain. On the contrary, it is certain that seven of the twelve children did not survive. And this was the case in many families at that time.

This case illustrates how low the chances of passing on one's genes and surname to future generations were for our ancestors.

How was it in your ancestors' family?