Illegitimacy

At this morning's DNA discussion group, Zoom meeting (22-12-2021) the question was asked about illegitimacy. We were talking about Adam Rutherford's book, 'A Brief History of Everyone who ever lived'. On page 175 when AR is discussing the research for Richard III DNA matches he mentions 'false paternity' (NPE) as 2% out of hundred people were not sired by their father. He continues 'There are 19 generations from Edward III to Henry Somerset which puts the possibility of false paternity at a chance of 1 in 6.

E A Wrigley and R S Schonfield in their book 'The Population History of England 1541-1871' on p 158 refers to 'Family Life' by Laslett fig 3.1 on p 113 'that shows illegitimate baptisms comprising between 0.5% to 5.5% of all baptisms during the parish register period'. 

Every family has Non-parental events (NPE) in their family trees.