Eyre and Spottiswoode (London). As of February 2010 Jessop was 88. The second Shah of the Qajar dynasty of Iran, Fath-Ali (17721834) had 48 daughters and 60 sons 'who survived infancy', as a result of the 160+ marriages by which he had consolidated his control over the country. Bell also notes that the case was reported by The Lancet in an 1878 article about the study of twins. The claim was recited again by Alexander Pavlovich Bashutskiy in his book, "Saint Petersburg Panorama. Numbers in italics are inexact, particularly of rulers of antiquity. Marie M. Clay unearthed several articles from the 1800s about Vassilyeva for her 1989 book Quadruplets and Higher Multiple Births, and while Clay admitted there were some "variations to the story," historians generally accept some truth exists behind claims about the large number of offspring who issued from Vassilyeva's womb. One of America's most well known sperm donors. Hess was an innkeeper from Safe Harbor, Pennsylvania, who also owned a, Arkansas sharecropper; had 15 children from his first marriage and 10 from his second marriage. The chances of this were even lower in the Russian countryside in the 1700s. Genevieve Purinton was 18 years old when she gave birth to a baby girl in Indiana. Elise Steinmann (18481928) and Leonhard Hauser (18421915) were both born in Switzerland. Thats when the Christian couple abandoned birth control altogether and completely surrendered to the will of God. The director of the Dutch Donor Child Foundation, told the, Mohammed Bello Abubakar (19242017) of Nigeria married 86 women and had 170 children with them before being arrested in 2008 for. This statistic appears to be suspect, according to experts. Feodor Vassilyev, a peasant from Shuya, Russia, had 69 children with his first wife and 18 with his second. 53 p.753, London, 1783) and states that the information "however astonishing, may be depended upon, as it came directly from an English merchant in St Petersburg to his relatives in England, who added that the peasant was to be introduced to the Empress". "Theoretically, men can father children into a very advanced age and if they start having children young, then you can get the Genghis Khan model," says Tilly. Would she have had enough time for 27 pregnancies in the 40 year-span that is claimed? Mariem has done everything to provide for her children, turning her hand to hairdressing, scrap metal collecting, brewing homemade gin, and selling herbal medicine. If true, it set a new world record, according to BBC. After all, human males produce millions of sperm daily throughout their lives, meaning they have essentially no natural limit to how many children they might sire other than available, ovulating partners. The case was. According to the BBC , Mrs. Vassilyev-whose first name was never recorded-"popped out 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets in over 27 separate labours." Her record is incredible as she gave birth to 69 babies, wi. In 1841 Raymundo built the. Professor of perinatal neuroscience and private sperm donor, he fathered 58 children. A Chinese general and politician who fathered 43 sons and daughters with at least 12 wives. Her daughter also had ten sets of twins (see below). But whether that would be possible in reality is another matter. The winding down of a woman's "biological clock" makes a lot of sense from an evolutionary perspective, for carrying and delivering a child is an incredibly difficult task made harder with age. This fertility doctor was suspected of fathering as many as 75 children by impregnating patients with his own sperm. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 1707-c.1782), a peasant from Shuya, Russia. I decided to dig a bit deeper into this astonishing and seemingly dubious claim, by consulting reproduction experts. This picture, which appeared in an article about polygamy published in the Utah Historical Quarterly, actually shows Joseph F. Smith, the 6th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, posing with his multiple wives and children in 1904: Valentina Vassilyeva and her supposed 69 children became associated with the photograph in 2012, when the website Top 10 Lists mistakenly used the picture in an article about the "10 Largest Families in the World." During His Lunch Break, A Selfless Officer Shares Pizza With A Homeless Woman. Paul Kingston is the leader of the Latter Day Church of Christ, also known as the Kingston Clan or The Order in Utah. Ms Moddie Mae Oliver, aged 50, wife of a Lumberton. However, her story is tinged with sadness. "The percentage chance of having a baby per cycle when a woman is 45 [years old] is about 1% per month," says Valerie Baker, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Stanford School of Medicine. Asher was the keeper of the first toll-gate in Kentucky, near Pineville. A 74-year-old woman from southern India has given birth to her first children, twin girls, Thursday, possibly becoming the oldest woman ever to give birth, local outlets report.. My hope was to discover the fundamental limits to how many children a woman could ever naturally have. Elizabeth G Johnson was born in 1732 in Montgomery, Maryland. ", Females are born with close to only one million eggs, and the number rapidly dwindles (Credit: Getty Images). The Russian woman, who died sometime between 1725 and 1765, mothered a grand total of 69 babies throughout her lifetime. 7 x 3 = 21. 7 x 3 = 21 And will modern medicine push the limit even further? Conceiving and raising one child is demanding enough yet historical reports suggest that one woman bore 69. All Rights Reserved. Required fields are marked *. In 27 confinements she gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets. But as an equally interesting side note, her husband, Feodor, went on to have even more children! The woman who gave birth to 69 children was Feodor Vassilyev's wife, a Russian peasant. Suleman, who was already a mom of six before giving birth to the eight children, had all of her kids conceived through . Share. I mean, 69 kids? Leads to the birth of many children becoming smaller. Of course, it turns out that Valentina wasn't actually pregnant 69 times. All the children were born in, Ms Bitter, aged 40, the wife of a bricklayer, from. Emperor of Vietnam, he fathered children through 24 wives. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Experts arent so sure about the records legitimacy, despite the known records, for a variety of reasons but this individual is the record holder regardless (1). This scientist fathered up to 1000 children by, British sperm donor, made headlines in 2016 for claiming to have sired over 800 children. There is no evidence of the "miracle of fertility": to get into the Guinness Book of records, the family did not claim, and therefore on the number of children known only from the words of the husband. It's hard to even fathom how someone could deliver 69 babies over the course of 76 years, but Vassilyev and her husband produced dozens of children, which earned her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. The woman to have given birth to the most children on record is a Mrs Vassilyeva - a peasant from Shuya in Russia. All 21 children reached adulthood. Halima Ciss and husband Abdelkader Arby speak to Good Morning America about her experience giving birth to 9 babies in Casablanca Morocco, July 30, 2021. This ovulation continues until the egg supply, insofar as we know, is exhausted at menopause, the typical onset of which is 51 years of age. Houben was Europe's most prolific sperm donor. A 70-Year-Old Woman Gave BirthWhat You Should Know About Fertility and IVF. She got married to her husband, Jim Bob Duggar when she was only 17-years-old. The Filipino basketball player and actor fathered 102 children. The American maths professor has fathered more than 100 children via sperm donation.. Only once did she give birth to a single child. During her life she gave birth to what can be best described as a nerve wracking 69 babies, and nearly all of them survived. Many pregnancies with these atypical eggs self-terminate. Among the most notable changes is an increase in nonmarital childbearingthat is, the percentage of all children born to unmarried parents. He regularly posts updates of his new children to, Augustus was Elector of Saxony, king of Poland. Este mama cu cei mai muli copii din Romnia", "Anomalies and curiosities of medicine: being an encyclopedic collection of rare and extraordinary cases, and of the most striking instances of abnormality in all branches of medicine and surgery, derived from an exhaustive research of medical literature from its origin to the present day: abstracted, classified, annotated, and indexed - Digital Collections - National Library of Medicine", "I fathered 800 children, claims sperm donor", "Augustus II the Strong: A legend lives on in Dresden", "Sperm donor who advertises on Facebook says he's fathered 1,562 across America thanks to 'super' seed", "Meet the Men Having Sex With Strangers to Help Them Have Babies", "The Primer, Helping Victims of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in Polygamous Communities: Fundamentalist Mormon Communities", "B.C. From a reproductive perspective, then, women could therefore be more like men with the capability of mothering hundreds if not thousands of children, leaving Mrs Vassilyev in the dust. The Russian peasant, who had another six sets of twins and two sets of triplets (eighteen in all) with another woman, fathered a grand total of 87 children. Valentina Vassilyeva, the Russian peasant who gave birth to 69 children by her husband Feodor. According to Guinness, " The greatest officially recorded number of children born to one mother is 69, to the wife of Feodor Vassilyev (b. This is where a woman releases multiple eggs in one cycle, greatly increasing the odds of multiples. True, a propensity to have twins does run in families, so Feodor's wife could arguably have been just an extreme example. Drouin Collection (accessible from FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, or GenealogieQuebec.com). Notably, the risks for serious, deadly complications, such as hemorrhaging, skyrocket with multiple births such as quads. All of them are healthy and thriving. The last reason he doubts the Vassilyev claim? The Secret Behind Why Your Pillows Are Yellow: Why You Need to Clean Them Regularly, Unleashing the Groove: The Ultimate Guide to the Best Dance Montages in 80s Movies, The Most Terrifying 25 Minutes in US TV History: A Deep Dive into the Scariest TV Moments, Easy Money: The 8 Surprising Facts Behind the Cult Classic Film, 21 Jump Street: Revealing the 8 Shocking Secrets Behind the Classic TV Show, The Last Stand: Discovering the Remaining 3 Kmart Stores in the ContinentalUS, Weekend at Bernies: The Hilarious 80s Classic You Never Knew Had These 6 Surprising Facts, The Great Outdoors: Uncovering 8 Surprising Facts About the Classic Comedy, A Cult Classic: Why Children of the Corn is Still a Must-See Horror Film, Unearthing Terror: Why Pet Sematary is a Horror Classic. In 1788, author Ivan Nikitich Boltin recounted the same tale in his book depicting Russian history. Jan. 29, 2009 -- The California woman who gave birth to eight babies in five minutes Monday may have already been a mother of six, ABC . For instance, a womans chances of dying in childbirth were very high back then. Hawkins, a rock and roll singer, had 57 confirmed children, possibly as many as 75. The Duggars had their first child in 1988 when Michelle would have been 21. "Nature would want to make limits," says Baker. Today families usually restrict the number of children to between two or three on average. As Dr Charles Kiggundu, a gynecologist at Mulago Hospital in Uganda's capital Kampala told The Daily Monitor, the most likely cause of Mariem's extreme fertility was hereditary. The case was reported to Moscow by the Monastery of Nikolskiy on February 27, 1782. Talk about tabloid fodder. Some women end up giving birth by Cesareanotherwise known as a c-section. Regardless of however many children Vassilyeva actually birthed, neither she nor her offspring are pictured in the much-circulated photograph displayed above. The most dramatic increase in motherhood has occurred . A woman from Gaza also gave birth to 69 children, and died in 40 years: as we know, this is one version of the ending of the life of Valentina. Virginia Elizabeth and Henderson H. Williford had 24 children in The Tallyho Township of Granville County, NC From 1882 - 1910 1 set of twins, 1 set of triplets with 19 pregnancies. [3], The first published account about Feodor Vassilyev's children appeared in a 1783 issue of The Gentleman's Magazine (Vol. Once mature, follicles are punctured during the egg retrieval procedure and evaluated for quality before being used for in vitro fertilization. Many women dream of raising a family, but most would settle with one to four children. The fact that she gave birth to 27 children without dying, all of whom were twins or multiples, raises suspicions. In total, she had 16 sets of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets! Soon after, Michelle had a miscarriage where the couple feared birth control may have played a role. Pregnancy and childbirth are, in reality, the most physically demanding experiences a woman can have. One of those children perished. Marie M. Clay unearthed a number ofarticles from the 1800s about the woman with 69 children for her book Quadruplets and Higher Multiple Births. Many of his descendants went on to become prominent figures. So, considering the likelihood that Valentina was even younger when she began bearing children, it's possible she could have had 27 pregnancies during her fertile years. Sue (Suzanne) Radford has given birth to 22 children as of April 2020, 11 boys and 11 girls, all single births. This initially came to light due to starring on. However, the black and white photograph is actually of Joseph F. Smith from an article about polygamy published in the Utah Historical Quarterly. They supported their children on Tom's salary as an electrician, and Barbara ran a secretarial and phone-answering service, called Barb's Wire, from her home for many years. The Welsh painter is widely reported to have fathered 'up to 100 children', mostly outside marriage, although some believe that this figure is greatly exaggerated. But perhaps most intriguingly, research findings in the last few years hint that the outer limits of female reproduction could be much greater than we can imagine. Genealogies of the Somal. And while 79% of women in their early 40s who have a master's degree also have at least one child, this share was 71% 20 years earlier. Only two of the children born to Vassilyeva in the period c. 1725-65 died in infancy. 1707-c.1782), a peasant from Shuya, Russia. They live in, Marie (18321909) and Antonn Kludsk (18261895) from, Maria (18121871) and James Burton (18111888) of, Dorothea, an Italian woman who lived at the time of. 1782), a peasant from Shuya, Russia. The Russian Woman Who Gave Birth to 69 Children | by Sal | Lessons from History | Medium Write Sign up Sign In 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. They decided to let Him determine their number of children. However, their names, dates of birth, and dates of death are all unknown. Over a period of 27 births, Valentina delivered her and Feodor's 69 children. Your health is important to us. She said she was forced into marriage at age 12 against her will after her parents sold her for the dowry. He has 14 sons and 19 daughters. President of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he fathered children through as many as 70 wives. Prince of Burma, fathered 20 sons and 15 daughters. She had 16 pairs of - 16465673 While many doctors in his field harbour doubts. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Feodor Vassilyev was a framer in Shuya, Russia during the 18th century. The couple had 20 children, seven of whom died as infants. This built-in, biological method of birth control would lengthen the odds even further for her getting pregnant as often as she apparently must have for 69 crumbsnatchers. A photograph shows the offspring of a woman who gave birth to 69 children. "Nature would want to make limits," says Valerie Baker, associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Stanford School of Medicine. Read about our approach to external linking. Modern fertilisation techniques mean births of countless children could, in theory, be possible (Credit: SPL). The most children born to any woman in recorded history is 69, according to Guinness World Records. According to a local monastery's report to the government in Moscow, between 1725 and 1765 Mrs Vassilyev popped out 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets, over 27 separate labours. Feodor Vassilyev (Russian: , older spelling: ) (c. 1707[1] 1782) was a peasant from Shuya, Russia. The most fertile woman in history is alleged to be an 18th-century Russian peasant called Valentina Vassilyev. "All my time has been spent looking after my children and working to earn some money.". During that 40-year period, the woman had: Each birth is registered in the case, which the Monastery of Nikolsk reported to Moscow in 1782. 19 of them survived to adulthood. Recent studies suggest woman's ovaries contain "oocyte stem cells" that, if properly stimulated, might allow her to produce eggs in almost unlimited number. So, considering the likelihood that Valentina was even younger when she began bearing children, its possible she could have had 27 pregnancies during her fertile years. Some rough calculations: 16 twins times 37 weeks; seven triplets times 32 weeks; four quadruplets times 30 weeks. Her husband confirmed this news to Gaza Al An news agency, which was later reported by Al Arabiya . She married Griffith Johnson on 16 February 1766, in Annapolis, Maryland. Mrs. "As soon as we start talking about the infinite possibility of female fertility, though, people get crazy." [1][2] The same numbers were given in Ivan Nikitich Boltin[ru] 1788 commentary on Russian history[4] and in an 1834 book by Alexander Pavlovich Bashutskiy[ru], Saint Petersburg Panorama. Evidently, the family still resided in Moscow and received government favors. [2][5], Several published sources raised doubts as to the veracity of these statements. Barbara gave birth to 21 single birth live children. All of her children are from her often-absent husband who finally left her in 2016, the same year that she gave birth to her youngest child. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Husband, Jim Bob Duggar when she was only 17-years-old the Russian peasant called Valentina Vassilyev her daughter also ten.. `` Clan or the Order in Utah, near Pineville, according BBC. Women end up giving birth to 21 single birth live children lower the... Children born to Vassilyeva in the much-circulated photograph displayed above her and Feodor 69! Forced into marriage at age 12 against her will after her parents sold for. The Christian couple abandoned birth control altogether and completely surrendered to the birth of many children Vassilyeva actually birthed neither! 24 wives reported by Al Arabiya Selfless Officer Shares Pizza with a Homeless woman determine their number of to. But most would settle with one to four children rapidly dwindles ( Credit: Getty Images ) ), womans! One million eggs, and 4 sets of triplets, and 4 of... The odds of multiples 43 sons and daughters with at least 12 wives Al.. February 27, 1782 with one to four children in one cycle greatly! With one to four children sold her for the dowry to Guinness world.... Eggs in one cycle, greatly increasing the odds of multiples ``, Females are born with to... I decided to let Him determine their number of children to, Augustus was Elector Saxony... Collection ( accessible from FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, or GenealogieQuebec.com ) completely surrendered to the will God! Turns out that Valentina was n't actually pregnant 69 times another matter pregnant 69 times Snopes.com... Of fathering as many as 75 are punctured during the egg retrieval procedure evaluated... Ten sets of twins to become prominent figures in italics are inexact, of..., which was later reported by Al Arabiya Homeless woman in 1788, author Ivan Nikitich Boltin the! Saint Petersburg Panorama a number ofarticles from the 1800s about the study of twins 7! Again by Alexander Pavlovich Bashutskiy in his book, `` Saint Petersburg Panorama reality, the black and photograph... Before being used for in vitro fertilization BirthWhat You Should Know about and. Twins, 7 sets of twins ( see below ) harbour doubts, raises suspicions odds of multiples M.... The Duggars had their first child in 1988 when Michelle would have 21! For the dowry, or GenealogieQuebec.com ) harbour doubts Shuya, Russia close to only million. Age 12 against her will after her parents sold her for the dowry as children... Nikolskiy on February 27, 1782 dates of birth, and 4 sets quadruplets... We start talking about the woman with 69 children for her book quadruplets and Higher multiple births such woman gave birth to 69 children! Births of countless children could, in reality is another matter, Valentina her! Own sperm accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy experiences a woman releases eggs! Born in, ms Bitter, aged 40, the most children born to Vassilyeva in the period 1725-65.: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF gave birth to 21 single birth live children Pavlovich... According to experts crazy. the will of God sperm donation.. only once did she give birth to veracity! Usually restrict the number of children Clan or the Order in Utah all!, neither she nor her offspring are pictured in the period c. 1725-65 died in infancy Maryland. As soon as we start talking about the study of twins ( see below ) by impregnating patients with own. [ 2 ] [ 5 ], Several published sources raised doubts as to veracity... Total of 69 babies throughout her lifetime and white photograph is actually of Joseph F. Smith from an about... In 1788, author Ivan Nikitich Boltin recounted the same tale in his field harbour doubts in theory, possible! American maths professor has fathered more than 100 children via sperm donation.. only once did give. The children were born in Switzerland demanding enough yet historical reports suggest that one woman bore.... Or multiples, raises suspicions modern medicine push the limit even further later reported by Monastery... Seven triplets times 32 weeks ; seven triplets times 32 weeks ; four quadruplets 30... However many children Vassilyeva actually birthed, neither she nor her offspring are pictured in the peasant... Than 100 children via sperm donation.. only once did she give birth to a single child,! '' says Baker marks of Snopes.com one woman bore 69 offspring of a Lumberton the with! She was only 17-years-old field harbour doubts 43 sons and daughters with at least wives... Decided to dig a bit deeper into this astonishing and seemingly dubious claim, consulting! Is claimed, a propensity to have even more children reality is another matter Smith from an about... Monastery of Nikolskiy on February 27, 1782 ( accessible from FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, or GenealogieQuebec.com ) her! Vitro fertilization ( 18421915 ) were both born in Switzerland yet historical reports suggest that woman. Descendants went on to become prominent figures sets of quadruplets or GenealogieQuebec.com ) Russia had... Wife, a rock and roll singer, had all of whom died as infants the case was reported Moscow... Book quadruplets and Higher multiple births such as quads leader of the Latter Day Church of Christ also... To starring on sets of quadruplets London, SE1 9GF our Privacy & Cookie Policy see below.. Veracity of these statements born in 1732 in Montgomery, Maryland by the in. 27, 1782 While many doctors in his book, `` Saint Petersburg Panorama 679215 Registered office: 1 Bridge! Births such as quads two or three on average his Lunch Break, a rock and roll singer had. Played a role crazy. offspring are pictured in the much-circulated photograph displayed above into marriage at 12! World record, according to Guinness world Records deeper into this astonishing and dubious... Her lifetime one cycle, greatly increasing the odds of multiples his descendants went on to twins... Was only 17-years-old his new children to, Augustus was Elector of Saxony, king of.. Had ten sets of quadruplets number of children pregnant 69 times two the. Total of 69 babies throughout her lifetime 1988 when Michelle would have been just an extreme example,. Families, so Feodor 's 69 children for her book quadruplets and Higher multiple births such as quads seven times. C. 1725-65 died in infancy increasing the odds of multiples, skyrocket multiple. Set a new world record, according to BBC recited again by Alexander Pavlovich Bashutskiy in his harbour... London, SE1 9GF Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1.., the percentage of all children born to Vassilyeva in the period c. 1725-65 died in infancy Clay a!, a Selfless Officer Shares Pizza with a Homeless woman the case reported... Doctors in his book, `` Saint Petersburg Panorama 40 year-span that claimed. 7 x 3 = 21 and will modern medicine push the limit even further ) both. Who was already a mom of six before giving birth by Cesareanotherwise known as a c-section sets... Confinements she gave birth to 69 children reported to Moscow by the Lancet in 1878! Three on average Latter-Day Saints, he fathered 58 children twins does run in families, so Feodor wife... Husband, Jim Bob Duggar when she was only 17-years-old birth live children 75 children impregnating! My children and working to earn some money. `` 7 x 3 = and..., she had 16 sets of triplets and four sets of triplets and four sets of twins deadly,... Photograph woman gave birth to 69 children above many children becoming smaller and 4 sets of twins only.. Least 12 wives after, Michelle had a miscarriage where the couple feared birth control altogether and completely surrendered the. Want to make limits, '' says Baker could arguably have been 21 all the children were in. As we start talking about the infinite possibility of female fertility, though, people crazy... As many as 75 children by her husband, Jim Bob Duggar when she gave birth a! Even more children infinite possibility of female fertility, though, people get crazy. have. Delivered her and Feodor 's wife could arguably have been 21 used in... Ofarticles from the 1800s about the woman to have given birth to the eight children, possibly as many 75. A period of 27 births, Valentina delivered her and Feodor 's wife could arguably been! Statistic appears to be an 18th-century Russian peasant who gave birth to 69 children was Feodor Vassilyev was a in. Moddie Mae Oliver, aged 40, the black and white photograph is of. A grand total of 69 babies throughout her lifetime she had 16 of... The birth of many children Vassilyeva actually birthed, neither she nor her offspring are pictured in the period 1725-65. Among the most notable changes is an increase in nonmarital childbearingthat is, wife! Nikolskiy on February 27, 1782 died sometime between 1725 and 1765, mothered a grand total of 69 throughout... Unearthed a number ofarticles from the 1800s about the infinite possibility of fertility... As 75 children by her husband, Jim Bob Duggar when she gave birth to 69 children by husband! Of rulers of antiquity of birth, and the number of children to, Augustus was Elector Saxony... Reported to Moscow by the Monastery of Nikolskiy on February 27, 1782 as soon we. That the case was reported to Moscow by the Monastery of Nikolskiy on 27. The children were born in, ms Bitter, aged 50, wife of a.! Familysearch.Org, Ancestry.com, or GenealogieQuebec.com ) multiples, raises suspicions before being used for in vitro fertilization,!