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In reading material for a course I'm doing on genealogy:

A minor was one under 21 but over 7. An infant was usually under 8, but sometimes referred to those under 21. However, in some countries an infant can mean they are aged under 1 year and a child someone who is over 1 but under 12 years of age.

Apparently in the 1750's an infant in the US was considered to be under 8 years but sometimes under 21 years but what about in 1850?

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  • Where did you hear/read that "in the 1750's an infant in the US was considered to be under 8 years but sometimes under 21 years"?
    – PolyGeo ♦
    Dec 24, 2017 at 2:41
  • In reading material for a course I'm doing on genealogy "A minor was one under 21 but over 7. An infant was usually under 8, but sometimes referred to those under 21. However, in some countries an infant can mean they are aged under 1 year and a child someone who is over 1 but under 12 years of age". Apparently this was the case in the US in the 1750's but my question is whether this was the case in 1850.
    – Maggie Speak
    Dec 24, 2017 at 4:20
  • Do you have a particular case in mind? It will be easier to answer the question if we can see the context. Also, could you add the source-of-source for your statement in your question? A reference to "reading material for a course I'm doing" doesn't help other researchers.
    – Jan Murphy ♦
    Dec 24, 2017 at 23:06
  • I found reference and answered my own question. This was part of an exam question that I answered incorrectly.
    – Maggie Speak
    Dec 25, 2017 at 1:12

1 Answer 1

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I’ve found reference to this.

source: http://www.mindserpent.com/American_History/reference/dictionaries/dictionaries_index.html 1843 Bouvier's Law Dictionary Vol 1 Page 674

…INFANT, persons, is one under the age of twenty-one years…

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