"Barchild" on baptism record - see image

[SteveKNS]

I checked for a dozen pages or so in both directions from Henry Powell's baptism record and the closest I can find to "Barchild" is "base child" - see image. It's in different handwriting, so not very helpful for comparison purposes, unfortunately.

I did find a few other illegitimate births but none were marked as such i.e. the only indicator was the absence of the father's name.

[Mike in Cumbria]

It must be a slightly blotched "base child" - there's nothing else that would make any sense there.

[Gadget]

I agree with Mike and others. It is base child.

[Viktoria]

I'm wondering whether Barchild could have been the father's surname, the mother not knowing his given name (if perhaps she had been seduced by her employer). That surname is not unknown.
Alternatively could there be a connection with the heraldic bar sinister which I believe was the indication of illegitimacy.
It would be instructive to look elsewhere in the register to see how other illegitimate births are recorded. You don't usually have to look far to find one!

I once mentioned the ” bar sinister” denoting illegitimacy , in a reply to a post.
Someone with more knowledge than I,corrected me on that point .
Can’t find the posts now , but it seems I was mistaken.
Just a point, as I said I am not really informed enough but had gone on what used to be the accepted explanation.
Viktoria.

[Mike in Cumbria]

I'm wondering whether Barchild could have been the father's surname, the mother not knowing his given name (if perhaps she had been seduced by her employer). That surname is not unknown.
Alternatively could there be a connection with the heraldic bar sinister which I believe was the indication of illegitimacy.
It would be instructive to look elsewhere in the register to see how other illegitimate births are recorded. You don't usually have to look far to find one!

I once mentioned the ” bar sinister” denoting illegitimacy , in a reply to a post.
Someone with more knowledge than I,corrected me on that point .
Can’t find the posts now , but it seems I was mistaken.
Just a point, as I said I am not really informed enough but had gone on what used to be the accepted explanation.
Viktoria.

You weren't entirely mistaken, as you do see "bar sinister" used as a euphemism for illegitimacy, but it doesn't make any sense as a heraldic  term. A bar is a horizontal element, so can't be either sinister or dexter, unlike a "bend".

In this birth record, it would make no sense at all.

[majm]

I agree with Mike and others. It is base child.

Yes,  I agree.  And I recall that on Church of England  parish registers for baptisms that that particular column heading does not allow for details about the parents... Afterall, Parent/s details are for the column/s immediately to the right, so it is not a surname for baby's parent/s.

JM

[Guy Etchells]

Yes in that register there are a number of base born children with base being spelt in various ways including base, bas., bar.
Perhaps the main clue that ties in all these different abbreviations/spellings is there is no father's name given.

Cheers
Guy

[Viktoria]

I'm wondering whether Barchild could have been the father's surname, the mother not knowing his given name (if perhaps she had been seduced by her employer). That surname is not unknown.
Alternatively could there be a connection with the heraldic bar sinister which I believe was the indication of illegitimacy.
It would be instructive to look elsewhere in the register to see how other illegitimate births are recorded. You don't usually have to look far to find one!

I once mentioned the ” bar sinister” denoting illegitimacy , in a reply to a post.
Someone with more knowledge than I,corrected me on that point .
Can’t find the posts now , but it seems I was mistaken.
Just a point, as I said I am not really informed enough but had gone on what used to be the accepted explanation.
Viktoria.

You weren't entirely mistaken, as you do see "bar sinister" used as a euphemism for illegitimacy, but it doesn't make any sense as a heraldic  term. A bar is a horizontal element, so can't be either sinister or dexter, unlike a "bend".

In this birth record, it would make no sense at all.

Thanks Mike.
Viktoria.