[quote="Tdarcos"]In pre-industrial civilizations, where 90% of the populace was involved in agricultural production, either in farming or ranching, children are the low-tech equivalent of pensions and life insurance. [/quote]

Ahh, I see the problem. I have descended from the upper crust. Elite is not just a word with numbers to my kind. We all have University degrees. My brother is the first Sherwin to ever not graduate with a 4.0 from college - to his eternal embarrassment, he received a 3.90. :)

It was from Brown, however, so we can't hold it too much against him! Ha! Ha ha! :)


[quote]First, on a farm there's always lots of work to be done, so once a kid is old enough to be able to milk a cow or shuck corn, (s)he becomes an asset instead of an expense. Second, by having lots of kids you don't have as much of a bad condition if one (or more) of them gets killed because of disease (smallpox and diseases we don't even think about today were often rampant and very fatal), accident (kids getting kicked in the head by a mule or gored by a bull), or other causes. Third, when you get too old to farm, your kids are now running the place and you don't have to work, and they have the advantage that they have you to give them advice, and when you die they inherit the farm.[/quote]

We were also impervious to smallpox and polio. By the time I was born, they didn't even bother inoculating me against it!

Nice contribution Tdarcos, relevant and insightful.

[quote="Ice Cream Jonsey"]They had already had five kids before they had the one that was my ancestor. If that crazed lunatic had learned to pull out once in 66 years, I'd never have existed.[/quote]

Jonsey, this may sound crass but today, in western civilization, having kids is a consumption item like buying a TV set. You have kids because you want them and you decide you're willing to make the sacrifices to have them.

In pre-industrial civilizations, where 90% of the populace was involved in agricultural production, either in farming or ranching, children are the low-tech equivalent of pensions and life insurance.

First, on a farm there's always lots of work to be done, so once a kid is old enough to be able to milk a cow or shuck corn, (s)he becomes an asset instead of an expense. Second, by having lots of kids you don't have as much of a bad condition if one (or more) of them gets killed because of disease (smallpox and diseases we don't even think about today were often rampant and very fatal), accident (kids getting kicked in the head by a mule or gored by a bull), or other causes. Third, when you get too old to farm, your kids are now running the place and you don't have to work, and they have the advantage that they have you to give them advice, and when you die they inherit the farm.

[quote="Ice Cream Jonsey"]I know, who gives a shit, right? All that matters is being the most famous Sherwin.[/quote]
Jonsey, I think [i]Sherwin Williams[/i] has got you beat on that point! (Note: you did not say that "Sherwin" had to be the surname.)

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This message posted in gorgeous 1920x1080 on my new 24" monitor.

I have a sister who did a bunch of research into our family tree which really saved me a lot of effort.

My mom's side of the family is pretty easy. My sister traced them back to the Mayflower I believe, and at some point they moved to Texas. One of my mom's relatives died defending the Alamo (there's an Autry somewhere on the list).

On my dad's side, his dad is simple. My grandpa's parents came from Ireland which made my grandpa 100% Irish. My dad's half, I'm a fourth. His mom's side is a little more complicated. I believe my grandma is part Russian, part Czech, part German and part Polish.

Also, John was a pimp. How awesome is that?

I think you'll find it's spelled "genealogy", my good sir.

I know, who gives a shit, right? All that matters is being the most famous Sherwin.

Some Ancestry site lets you click through and I found my paternal grandfather there.

According to this site, and I have corroborated it with a second source, the Sherwin that came to America from England was John Sherwin. He had Jacob Sherwin in 1710.

John was born in either 1641 or 1644. He had Jacob with his second wife, Mary Chandler. John was like 66 when Jacob (his last kid) was born. Sixty-six!

His second wife was 35 years younger than he was.

They had already had five kids before they had the one that was my ancestor. If that crazed lunatic had learned to pull out once in 66 years, I'd never have existed.

Somehow I feel like my very existence is a lucky accident. I don't think I can look at the world the same as I did yesterday.