Childhood in early modern Scotland facts for kids
Childhood in early modern Scotland looks at what life was like for children in Scotland from the early 1500s to the mid-1700s. This time is called the "early modern period" in Europe. It started with big changes like the Renaissance (a time of new ideas in art and science) and the Reformation (when Scotland changed its main church). It ended as Scotland began to develop industries and new ways of thinking during the Enlightenment.
When babies were born, it was mostly women who helped, but fathers were often nearby. Before the Reformation, baptisms were a way to connect families through godparents. But after the Reformation, the Kirk (the Scottish church) used baptism to make the bond between parents and child stronger, especially with the father. In the Highlands, rich families sometimes sent their children to live with other important families. This was called fosterage and it helped create strong friendships between families. It was also common for richer families to hire a wet-nurse to feed and care for their baby. Mothers usually took care of young children.
When kids became teenagers, many would leave home to work. Boys might learn a trade as an apprentice or work on farms. Girls often worked in homes or on farms too. For wealthier families, and sometimes for talented kids from poorer families, this might happen after they went to school. Some even went to one of Scotland's universities. People at the time, especially after the Reformation, believed that education was important for everyone. Boys could go to grammar schools or local parish schools. There were also many "adventure schools" that weren't officially regulated. By the late 1600s, most areas in the Lowlands had parish schools. However, in the Highlands, it was still hard to get a basic education. People often thought women weren't as smart as men, but they also wanted women to be responsible, especially as wives and mothers. So, girls often learned to read, sew, and knit, but usually not to write.
Birth and Babies
It seems that more babies died in Scotland than in England during this time. In England, about 160 out of every 1,000 babies died in their first year. People were very worried about the safety of both mothers and babies during childbirth. Even though women like midwives and neighbours helped with the birth, the father was often close by. This was important so he could confirm that the baby was his. Some doctors, like David Arnot in the 1600s, even gave pregnant women special stones and belts as talismans (lucky charms) to help them.
Before the Reformation, baptism was a way to create a wider "spiritual family" with godparents. But after the Reformation, the Kirk stopped having godparents. Instead, baptism was used to make the "natural" family bonds stronger, especially with the father. He was expected to be the main person responsible for teaching the child about morals and religion.
Young Children's Lives
After a baby was born, it was common for richer families to hire a wet-nurse to feed and care for the child. Sometimes, the wet-nurse would even live with the family. In Edinburgh in the late 1600s, about 7 out of 100 families had a wet-nurse. They were most common in wealthy middle-class homes. Records show that even royal wet-nurses, like Isobel Colt and Margaret Masterton, were sometimes replaced if there were worries about the baby's health.
Among the important families in the Highlands, there was a tradition called fosterage. This was similar to having godparents. Children would be sent to live in the homes of other important families. This helped create strong friendships and connections between these families, and it continued into the 1600s. We don't have many records that tell us what life was like for very young children during this period. We know that some parents played with their children, and parents showed great sadness if a child died. Mothers were usually in charge of raising young children. For older children, the Kirk said that parents' main job was to help their child grow spiritually. Fathers were supposed to lead daily family prayers, but we don't know how many families actually did this. After the Reformation, a child's first communion (a religious ceremony) probably marked their transition to adulthood, allowing them to sit with adults in church for the first time.
Teenage Years
Historians aren't sure if teenagers in early modern Scotland had a "youth" period like we do today. For many, their early teens meant leaving home to start working. This was important because they needed to learn skills and save money so they could get married and start their own homes. In the Lowlands of Scotland, people often married later in life (in their mid-to-late 20s), and many people never married at all. In the Highlands and Islands, people might have married younger.
For those from poorer families, boys might become apprentices to learn a trade or work as servants on farms. Girls often worked as servants in homes or on farms. For wealthier children, and sometimes for very talented children from poorer backgrounds, this work might begin after they had gone to school for a while. The richest, and sometimes the most gifted, might even go on to one of Scotland's universities. We know that schoolboys, servants, and apprentices played football in the 1500s because there were many attempts to ban it!
Education
People during the Renaissance believed that education should be available to more people. Protestant reformers in Scotland agreed with this idea. For boys, the old schools in towns stayed open. Song schools and new schools became reformed grammar schools or regular parish schools. There were also many "adventure schools" that were not officially regulated. These schools sometimes met local needs or even took students away from the official schools. At their best, these schools taught things like the catechism (religious lessons), Latin, French, Classical literature (old Greek and Roman writings), and sports.
From 1616, a series of laws tried to set up schools in every parish (a small local area). By the late 1600s, most areas in the Lowlands had a good network of parish schools. However, in the Highlands, many areas still lacked basic education.
People widely believed that women were not as smart or capable as men. But after the Reformation, there was a stronger desire for women to take personal responsibility, especially as wives and mothers. For Protestants, this meant women needed to be able to learn and understand the catechism, and even read the Bible on their own. However, most people, even those who supported girls' education, thought girls should not get the same academic education as boys.
In poorer families, girls benefited from the growth of the parish school system after the Reformation. But usually, there were more boys than girls in these schools. Girls were often taught separately, for less time, and to a lower level. They usually learned reading, sewing, and knitting, but not writing. Records show that about 90% of female servants could not write their names from the late 1600s to the early 1700s. By 1750, about 85% of women of all social classes could not write, compared to 35% of men. Among the nobility (the highest social class), there were many educated and cultured women, with Mary, Queen of Scots being a famous example.
