Why is Patrick an Only Child?

[geebengrrl.livejournal.com]

Pam and Geoff Marlow are remarkably fecund; but Helena and Anthony Merrick only have one child. Anthony Merrick seems to be a fairly strict Catholic, so why is it that Patrick is their only child?

I wonder whether Helena Merrick, being a rather pragmatic Catholic (see Patrick's remark about fish on fridays in Attic Term, for example), was secretly using some form of contraception. Or perhaps they were playing Vatican Roulette and were just lucky...

I guess from AF's point of view, Patrick needs to be an only to contrast with the Marlows; and maybe he also represents her: she was also an only child.

Comments

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

It's out of the question that the disaster could be on Mr Merrick's part?

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

I suppose there could have been a Tragic Hunting Incident.

[colne-dsr.livejournal.com]

Maybe (i) either a very late marriage by one or both, hence not much time for children - I don't know if we ever find out how old the Merricks are when Patrick is 16, but I wouldn't be surprised by mid-50's, and I definitely think older than 40ish.

Or (ii) one or other was not good at producing children - I know a couple who tried everything, natural and artificial, to have a child, and no luck; they were 23 years married and had given up all hope when along came a daughter. (On the other hand, I work with a lady who had twins by AI and was told by doctors she was physically incapable of having any more children; 18 months later, along came no. 3)

[geebengrrl.livejournal.com]

Ithought Mr Merrick was the same age as Geoff Marlow, isn't there a mention in Falconer's Lure about them and Jon doing things together as kids?

Maybe Mrs Merrick is the Older Woman? Would explain why both Ginty and Nicola are a bit frightened of her

[colne-dsr.livejournal.com]

There's something when they're round the breakfast table where Jon and Geoff are talking about hawking with their Dad, and Jon says that Geoff was fishing quietly in the bay while "the rest of us" were rushing round the country looking for lost hawks. But he doesn't specify who "the rest of us" is - there are no more brothers, or presumably sisters - Anthony Merrick may be on the list, but it doesn't say. Or is there another reference later on?

Anyway, if Anthony is Geoff's age, and assuming that Geoff was about 22 when as a penniless lieutenant he married under-age Pam, and Giles followed quickly with the twins 8 years later, then he would be 31 when the twins were born, and 29 when Patrick was born. For what that proves. :-)

My view, for what it's worth, is that at least one of Anthony or Helena Merrick isn't very good at producing children. I suspect they would have had at least 2, for choice.