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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Armagh => Topic started by: plumpyone on Thursday 31 March 22 14:16 BST (UK)
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I have identified two possible ancestors however their baptism records are puzzling me - both were baptised in the same church in the 1830s however in both cases they have been recorded as illegitimate however they have been baptised with their fathers surname and the father has been named.
I've attached one of the examples, the other is Stephen McConnell with father Moses McConnell
Is it unusual for a child to be baptised with the fathers name and also recorded as illegitimate? Could it be that the parents were a mixed marriage which was not recognised by the Catholic Church so children were recorded as illegitimate?
just curious - thanks
Moderator comment: image removed to prevent breach of copyright
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the baptism (NLI 5587/03 page 32) does not give the surname of the child - just the parents, the transcript seems to be assuming the father's surname, ' illegitimate' is written between, and slightly above, the child's name and the father's details.
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The baptism register is marked illegitimate
https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000632609#page/32/mode/1up
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With some illegitimate births the father was present and in that case his name would be recorded. There was no requirement to be married for the father's name to be recorded in the baptism register. I have seen other baptisms where where the father wasn't present, and it says "reputed father...." If the baptism record says illegitimate, I think you can assume that's what it was. Nothing to do with a mixed marriage.
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Plumpyone
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Another thing is, if the lady was pregnant at the time of marriage, then the Priest would insert illegitimate as the child was conceived before the marriage.
The Priest would work out the child's Date of Birth work back 9 months. Boy oh God help you if the baby was premature!
Check the marriage date, I should image there were married.
Maggsie
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Another thing is, if the lady was pregnant at the time of marriage, then the Priest would insert illegitimate as the child was conceived before the marriage.
The Priest would work out the child's Date of Birth work back 9 months. Boy oh God help you if the baby was premature!
Do you have evidence?
I know that "begotten in fornication" was on some Scottish baptism registers (Presbyterian).
A baby born to married parents was legitimate unless one of the parents claimed and could prove otherwise.
There may have been cases in which the bridegroom wasn't father of the baby the bride was expecting. If he'd been deliberately deceived into believing he was the father, and later found out he wasn't, he may have had grounds for annulment.
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Yes, many times I have found this.
When I see these, I check the marriage dates.
The Fathers name is never listed when they are not married.
Maggsie
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I have seen baptisms (Catholic & Protestant) where the father of an illegitimate child is listed. In some registers there is almost always a father, or alledged father, named as though the officiant required a father's name before baptism would take place.
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There was a desire to identify fathers and prevent the burden of illegitimate children being born by the Poor Law and parish funds though that perhaps applies more to Established C of I than Catholic records.
"By an act of 1576 (Elizabeth), it was ordered that bastards should be supported by their putative fathers. If the genitor could be found, then he was put under very great pressure to accept responsibility and to maintain the child."
Although for England does provide background https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Illegitimacy_in_England
Catholic Canon Law:
Can. 1138 §1. The father is he whom a lawful marriage indicates unless clear evidence proves the contrary.
§2. Children born at least 180 days after the day when the marriage was celebrated or within 300 days from the day of the dissolution of conjugal life are presumed to be legitimate.
Can. 1139 Illegitimate children are legitimated by the subsequent valid or putative marriage of their parents or by a rescript of the Holy See.
https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.html
The Roman Catholic Code of Canon Law declares that if a child is born into a legitimate marriage, that child is legitimate. The father of the child is the mother's husband unless clear evidence proves otherwise. The child, however, does not have to be conceived within wedlock to be considered legitimate. If a child is born at least 180 days after the wedding, the child is considered legitimate. Similarly, if a child is born no more than 300 days after a divorce, the child is considered legitimate.
https://classroom.synonym.com/children-out-of-wedlock-the-catholic-church-12085888.html