The parentage of James Wotton of George Nympton

[greasey]

I seem to have a brick wall with my ancestor James Wotton 1815-1891.  He was baptized in George Nympton base child of Eliza Wotton a widow.  On his marriage certificate to Mary Bendle in 1841 he names his father as John Wotton a labourer.  However, there is no sign of an Eliza Wotton having any children with a John Wotton in George Nympton.  Checking FindMyPast, she had several children from 1805 onwards before she had James baptized in George Nympton all saying base child of Eliza Wotton a widow.  There is a marriage in 1793 between an John Wooten and Elizabeth Harward near Exeter, however, he seems to disappear before 1805.  A distant cousin told that he may have been a soldier and may have been abroad or died in the Peninsular War.  To further complicate things Eliza Wotton married a Thomas Nichol after the baptism of James Wotton in 1815.  Could he be James's real father?

[Paco]

Looking at the George Nympton Devon Heritage site there is a John Wotton listed as Parish Clerk and Thatcher, so I guess he fits in somewhere as well.
Regards.

[CaroleW]

Base child = illegitimate.  Quite common for an illegitimate child to “invent” a father when they married so as to appear respectable

[Neale1961]

 ……. she had several children from 1805 onwards before she had James baptized in George Nympton all saying base child of Eliza Wotton a widow. 

I am not seeing the word “widow” on the baptism record.
Just says “base child of Elizabeth Wooton”

[DRH123]

I am not seeing the word “widow” on the baptism record.
Just says “base child of Elizabeth Wooton”

In the case of James in 1815, "Widow" is written in the "Quality, Trade or Profession" box.

The earlier baptisms of Thomas in 1805 and Nancy Eastmond in 1811 both have "base child of Eliz. Wotton" and do not include "widow".

A possible interpretation is that her husband was absent at the time of the first two, but by 1815 it was known - or assumed - that he was dead. That would certainly be consistent with him being a soldier serving abroad during the Napoleonic War.

A second name like "Eastmond" for an illegitimate child is almost always an indication of an alleged father - but of course James needn't have the same father.

If Thomas Nichol was his father though, then it quite likely he would have used that surname, and put Thomas on his marriage registration.

David

[Neale1961]

Base child = illegitimate.