Entry in parish register

[Breckland Jane]

Whilst looking for a baptism I came across this rather interesting entry.

5th May 1655 Son of a travelling woman that borne by accident and was delivered in the Church, parish of Hughenden.

Anyway, the possible baptism I was looking for has confused me.

24th July 1681 Thomas alias Collins fillius Thomas Deane.

Does this mean he was the son of Thomas Deane but his mother was a Collins and not married to Thomas?

Jane

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Sounds very likely to me.

Jay

[Breckland Jane]

Thank you Jay.

Jane

[james collins]

Strictly speaking, he is the son of Thomas Deane (filius). That much is clear.
What is less clear is what he himself is called. Most likely it means he is Thomas, and he calls himself Thomas Collins, although his father was Thomas Deane. But it could just mean that he called himself Collins Deane (although his real first name was Thomas).

But I think that what is meant here is that he was known as Thomas Collins, although his father was Thomas Deane. And we can only speculate at this stage that he was the bastard son of a woman called Something Collins.

But strictly speaking, it only tells us that he calls himself Thomas Collins, and no more. Or rather, he was baptised as Thomas Collins. But it is a bit confusing. Usually a bastard baptism would name the mother as the principle parent as the father would be largely speculative.

[Breckland Jane]

Thank you James - that confirms my thinking on the matter. I agree it is very odd that the mother is not named in the case of bastard baptism.

Jane

[Guy]

Were you looking at a transcript or an original register?

If a transcript there is always the chance the forename was missing from the register and it is a surname Thomas alias Collins.
Alias were often used in those days for two or three generations and though may show bastardy in the past or previous generations, did not always denote bastardy.
Cheers
Guy

[Breckland Jane]

Thanks Guy. I was looking at a transcript from the Bucks FHS so there may well be something missing.

Jane