Help Needed To Decipher Parish Records

[Peanuts]

I am researching 16/17th century Chatham Kent Parish Records and have come across "drop'd childe". Can anyone please tell me the meaning of this phrase.

Thank you

Jean

[KiteRunner]

Sounds to me as if it should mean "gave birth". Does that make sense in the context?

[Olde Crone Holden]

I think it could also mean an illegitimate child. Depends on the context of course.

OC

[Peanuts]

"drop'd childe"

I'm sorry I did not make my request clear - this relates to burials. I wondered if it could be illegitimate or even stillborn?

Jean

[Olde Crone Holden]

I think it could be either, although I have seen stillborn children buried with the chilling description of "Abortive child of".

Perhaps it means "dropped" in the sense of a late miscarriage?

OC

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Jean,

How often do these entries appear??

[Christine in Herts]

I tried googling "dropped child" and "historical".

I think it might be another expression for a Foundling.

Christine

[keldon]

The phrase appears in The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
The old curiosity shop - Google Book Search

and the comments here on Dickens' correspondence describe it as a 'foundling'
The letters of Charles Dickens: the ... - Google Book Search

Edit: and here's the Dickens short story referred to in the above.

http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/lit/charlesdickens/ShortStoriesbyCharlesDickens/chap20.html

[Olde Crone Holden]

keldon

Thanks - that is handy to know.

OC

[Peanuts]

"drop'd childe"

I am sorry about my late reply to the messages but in between household chores (wash my mouth out with soap!) I am still wading through the CityArk records.

Merry - there were about 5 over a two year period (1700/1702) and then I did not find that wording again - I had never seen that phrase before and I like to have the full story.

Phil - thank you for the information, I now have another fact to store away in my brain for future reference.

Once again thanks everyone for your input.

Jean