Unconfigured Ad Widget

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Confusion over baptism

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Confusion over baptism

    Arabella Churchill Tompkins was born in Sep quarter 1858. Her parents were married on 12 Oct 1858, and Arabella was baptised on 31 October (info thanks to the new Dorset records on Ancestry!)

    Why then did the Vicar put her down as base born daughter of Mary, and not mention her father at all? I thought that children were legitimised after their parents marriage and could be christened as such then? For the rest of her life Arabella was known as Arabella Churchill.

    Linda
    Linda


    My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

  • #2
    Spite!

    She was born before the marriage and the vicar was sniffily remarking that legally (in his opinion) the father was unknown.

    At that time, subsequent marriage did not legitimise a child, legally.

    You ARE positive that her mother's new husband was her father?

    OC

    Comment


    • #3
      Not 100% - I haven't yet got the birth cert. but that is not necessarily true as we all know. Unfortunately, when I wrote that post this morning, it was before my first coffee of the day, and I gave her the name of Arabella, when in fact it was Ann - Oops! Anyway, Ann put William Churchill as her father on her marriage cert in 1880, he was dead by then, and her mother had remarried. Also Mary and William came from a tiny town (population 38 in 1851), and were next door neighbours. Only 2 others are far as I can see who could have been the father.

      I double checked, and the same vicar did the banns for the wedding, married them and baptised the baby. He must have been a real stickler for legality.

      Thanks anyway OC -

      Linda
      Linda


      My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

      Comment


      • #4
        It IS a bit odd, as you would have expected the Vicar to know if the new husband was actually the father of Ann. Vicars usually made it their business to know. The fact that he has left the father's name off the baptism, even as "reputed father" is a bit worrying.

        You can't really set much store by the name of a father as given on a marriage cert. Quite often this would be the man who brought them up and acted like a father, not the same thing as being a biological father.

        Hopefully the birth cert will throw some light, although I somehow doubt it.

        OC

        Comment


        • #5
          Well I had a look at all the baptism records which this rector did - 40 years worth, but only took about 15 mins. In all that time there probably only about 20 illegitimate children, and on a number of them the second name of the child was a recognisable surname from the village, which was not the mothers name, so I would assume that this was the fathers surname. As Ann was christened Ann Churchill, I think it quite likely that Thomas Churchill (not William as I said before - my brain has gone AWOL today) was her father.

          I think I'll either give up for the day or start on the wine - my thinking can't get any worse!

          Linda
          Linda


          My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

          Comment


          • #6
            I'd go for the wine on such a lovely day!
            Margaret

            Comment


            • #7
              William could simply of been a person who was prepared to accept another man's child because he wished to marry the mother.
              That still happens today.

              We cannot tell if Mary stated that William was not the father.
              We do not, without viewing the certificate, know if William signed the birth register as father.

              However between 1850 and 1875 the father's name would not be on the certificate if the child was illegitimate.
              After 1875 (until 1953) it could be if he was present (with the mother to sign).

              The vicar may have heard local gossip that William was not Ann's father. At such a distance we can only make assumptions until proof turns up.
              Cheers
              Guy
              PS read Thomas for William
              Last edited by Guy; 03-06-11, 15:51. Reason: PS
              Guy passed away October 2022

              Comment

              Working...
              X