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Strange words on a baptism. What could this mean?

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  • Strange words on a baptism. What could this mean?

    This is a baptism from St Michael's, Coppenhall, Crewe, Cheshire in 1864. The child is the son of Thomas MORREY and his wife Matilda CAPPER who married in the same church 10 July 1854.
    They had another older son also called Charles baptised 3rd October 1858 also in the same church. The residence for the parents on that date is Shevington [Shavington] formerly Coppenhall. The surname on that occasion is given as MURRAY. It is not unusual for this family's surname to vary over time. I cannot find any death or burial for this Charles. Shavington aka Shavington cum Gresty is where Thomas' father (also Thomas) lived from 1851 to his death in 1871.

    What is really puzzling me though is why on the younger Charles's baptism entry, underneath his surname are the words "Capper's son in law". This doesn't make any sense as his parents had been married for 10 years by then. This younger Charles married in 1894 and died aged 90 in 1951.

    MORREY, Charles Baptism 1864.JPG

  • #2
    Hi GL,

    I have an idea that the words 'in law" were more loosely applied in the past, and in this case may mean step son. Did Matilda have a son out of wedlock before she married? This baptism may have been to recognise him in the family. Plus, it doesn't give his date of birth - he may not have been a baby but somewhat older.

    bcbrit

    George, Uren, Toy - Cornwall. Barrows, Blair, Bowyer, Freeth, Green, Manie - London

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    • #3
      Originally posted by bcbrit View Post
      Hi GL,

      I have an idea that the words 'in law" were more loosely applied in the past, and in this case may mean step son. Did Matilda have a son out of wedlock before she married? This baptism may have been to recognise him in the family. Plus, it doesn't give his date of birth - he may not have been a baby but somewhat older.

      bcbrit
      Thanks for the suggestion. Matilda's children were all in wedlock.

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      • #4
        UPDATE - I have solved this. The wording was not to do with the child but his father Thomas. Matilda's father was also a Charles and I have been tracking him on censuses. 1841 - labourer; 1851 and 61 - agricultural labourer; 1881 - gardener (non domestic) but I hit paydirt in 1871 - Sexton of Coppenhall Church !!

        So the vicar saw fit to record the younger Charles MORREY as child of the sexton's son-in-law. An earlier child Charlotte Louisa MORREY 1861 (baptised as Louisa) has an equally interesting entry. Her mother Matilda MORREY is listed first above her father Thomas MORREY and there is a note "Capper's daughter". This means Charles CAPPER must have been Sexton for 10 years before the one and only mention of it on the 1871 census.

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        • #5
          Good Tec work GL.

          Tried to find the other Charles B 1858. There is also another one in the area with parents John and Ann.

          On FM P Chester Courant 28 Oct 1885 a Charles Morrey aged 26 Labourer pled guilty to.theft of old iron from Sarah Astbury of Church Coppenhall. Sentenced to 9 mnths

          Ancestry has Court details.9 month at Knutsford Prison.
          ​​​​​
          There is a burial for Charles Morrey 7 April 1886 aged 26 Knutsford St John the Baptist. Abode HM.Prison

          Can't see.anything before that date for Charles B 1858



          Vera

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          • #6
            Well done GL for worrying away at it and getting to the bottom of the additional notation.

            However, I reinforce bcbrit's comment about "in-law" often being used to describe a step-child; many years ago (when you had to get to record offices to view PR and libraries for census) I came across a census entry recording a female as "daughter in law" of widower head of house. After years of further investigation, I was able to pin her down as the daughter of the man's dead wife, from her previous marriage, and therefore the step-daughter of the head of house. In that census, she had been recorded with the surname of the head of house, although marital status was recorded as single.)
            Janet in Yorkshire



            Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

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            • #7
              I've several times seen 'personal' comments like this from a Vicar, just added randomly to the register for people that were important to him or the parish. I guess it helped him keep up with all his families and their relationships!
              Anne

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