3 ms·

Tyler's son was born in 1853, and his son in 1928. Tyler had the son in his sixties, and his son had his in his seventies. Male fertility lasts a bit longer tha

Tyler's son was born in 1853, and his son in 1928. Tyler had the son in his sixties, and his son had his in his seventies. Male fertility lasts a bit longer than female.

SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
It does, but for full effect it's important to have a family trait of being dirty old men to go along with it.
- romaaeterna 7y ago
  That trait is common, possibly ubiquitous. I think that wealth may be the more important discriminator here. Without it, a man might find it difficult to attract a woman half his age late in life.
  - simonh 7y ago
    Maybe statistically, but there was a case here in the uk a few years ago. An old fellow in his 70s at a nursing home got one of the care assistants, aged under 20 IIRC, pregnant in a consensual relationship.
    - larrywright 7y ago
      I’m a little grossed out, but also impressed.
  - eesmith 7y ago
    "Wealth" comes in many forms. Widows of civil war veterans received benefits. Some young women married old civil war veterans as a result. Maudie Hopkins died in 2008, perhaps the last living widow of a Civil War veteran - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maudie_Hopkins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maudie_Hopkins > "It was not especially uncommon for young women in Arkansas to marry Confederate pensioners; in 1937 the state passed a law stating that women who married Civil War veterans would not be eligible for a widow's pension. The law was later changed in 1939 to state that widows born after 1870 were not eligible for pensions." Or Alberta Martin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Martin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Martin > On December 10, 1927, the then-21-year-old Stewart married the 81-year-old Martin, primarily to get help raising her son and because his $50 per month Confederate pension check guaranteed her a degree of financial security.
    - dreamcompiler 7y ago
      My great aunt was one of these. She was from Arkansas and married a much older Civil War veteran. She lived until 1979.
- dang 7y ago
  Please don't post unsubstantive comments to HN. Obviously standards have changed a great deal in 150 years.
gwd 7y ago
I think what's crazier about this is that it's entirely possible then that there are two people today such that one man's father was the other man's father's slave.
mamon 7y ago
A man in his 70s has a routine check up, and then brags to his doctor: "I'm really fit for my age. As a matter of fact, my 25 years old wife is expecting a baby". The doctor then replies with a story: "A man was an avid hunter, but also a bit light-headed. So one day he gets up in the morning and goes hunting, but he mistakenly takes an umbrella instead of his shotgun. After a while he encouters a bear. He pulls out the umbrella, aims, pulls the trigger. The shot is heard, and the bear drops dead" "That's impossible!" exclaims the man, "someone else had to make that shot" "And that's exactly my point.", smiles the doctor.

Tyler's son was born in 1853, and his son in 1928. Tyler had the son in his sixties, and his son had his in his seventies. Male fertility lasts a bit longer than female.

SketchySeaBeast 7y ago

It does, but for full effect it's important to have a family trait of being dirty old men to go along with it.

romaaeterna 7y ago
That trait is common, possibly ubiquitous. I think that wealth may be the more important discriminator here. Without it, a man might find it difficult to attract a woman half his age late in life.
- simonh 7y ago
  Maybe statistically, but there was a case here in the uk a few years ago. An old fellow in his 70s at a nursing home got one of the care assistants, aged under 20 IIRC, pregnant in a consensual relationship.
  - larrywright 7y ago
    I’m a little grossed out, but also impressed.
- eesmith 7y ago
  "Wealth" comes in many forms. Widows of civil war veterans received benefits. Some young women married old civil war veterans as a result. Maudie Hopkins died in 2008, perhaps the last living widow of a Civil War veteran - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maudie_Hopkins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maudie_Hopkins > "It was not especially uncommon for young women in Arkansas to marry Confederate pensioners; in 1937 the state passed a law stating that women who married Civil War veterans would not be eligible for a widow's pension. The law was later changed in 1939 to state that widows born after 1870 were not eligible for pensions." Or Alberta Martin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Martin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Martin > On December 10, 1927, the then-21-year-old Stewart married the 81-year-old Martin, primarily to get help raising her son and because his $50 per month Confederate pension check guaranteed her a degree of financial security.
  - dreamcompiler 7y ago
    My great aunt was one of these. She was from Arkansas and married a much older Civil War veteran. She lived until 1979.
dang 7y ago
Please don't post unsubstantive comments to HN. Obviously standards have changed a great deal in 150 years.

gwd 7y ago

I think what's crazier about this is that it's entirely possible then that there are two people today such that one man's father was the other man's father's slave.

mamon 7y ago

A man in his 70s has a routine check up, and then brags to his doctor: "I'm really fit for my age. As a matter of fact, my 25 years old wife is expecting a baby". The doctor then replies with a story: "A man was an avid hunter, but also a bit light-headed. So one day he gets up in the morning and goes hunting, but he mistakenly takes an umbrella instead of his shotgun. After a while he encouters a bear. He pulls out the umbrella, aims, pulls the trigger. The shot is heard, and the bear drops dead" "That's impossible!" exclaims the man, "someone else had to make that shot" "And that's exactly my point.", smiles the doctor.