Grandmother, Birth Assistant, Godmother. Grandparents and Newborns in a Spanish Mountain Village (Pedro Bernardo, Ávila, 1850-1861)

Where a grandmother was alive, she took a very active part in the care of her grandchildren, from the very beginning of their existence. There is considerable evidence for this thesis from Castilian rural communities, rooted in longstanding modes of life and with family structures that encouraged close interaction between the generations. Drawing on mid-19th century parish registers from Pedro Bernardo (Ávila) this case study analyses the ratio of grandparents who were alive or dead at the baptism of their grandchildren. Data thus obtained show that most grandchildren stood a chance to know their grandparents, with a predominance of the maternal line and of women over men. These findings are consistent with evidence on grandmothers being closely attached to their children’s children and of early symbolic ties created through baptism and the choice of a grandparent’s name for the newborn.