Have a page of baptisms for 1797 thus: XXXX in Castle Douglas had two unlawful children baptized 4th September 1797. Named William and Jean. On the side bar the surnames of the spouses of the other children baptized are listed once, but the one for the ‘father?’ of the unlawful children is listed twice (once for each child, if the name is for the father, i.e.) I can’t make it out: it’s either palty or patly (and I thought even partly). ..or maybe even patty...whether lower case or capital p is hard to tell. Would this be some sort of form of record-keeping for ‘unlawful’ children, or would it be the father’s surname? Regardless, how cruel in those days to stigmatise those children as unlawful even when being baptized. What a lot ‘religion’ has to answer for that poor wee innocent souls had to carry this label throughout their lives Maisie

> Hi Maisie Not only "religion" stigmatised children. I have an in-law born 100 years later than the ones you are writing about. She was born in 1897 to a poor widow woman, a washerwoman with 3 legitimate children. On the wee one's birth certificate it is clearly stated that the mother was the widow of a man killed in a pit accident 3 years previously. The child was registered in the mother's maiden name. I was given this certificate otherwise I'm sure I'd never have turned it up. Regards Ella > > Regardless, how cruel in those days to stigmatise those children as unlawful even when being baptized. What a lot ‘religion’ has to answer for that poor wee innocent souls had to carry this label throughout their lives > > Maisie > > ------------------------------- > > WHEN REPLYING to a post please remember to snip most of the earlier message. Be sure the reply to address shows as [email protected] > > You may contact the List Admin at [email protected] or click on the following link to the list information page online: > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/SCT/LANARK.html > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

It was standard practice to state when a child was born outof wedlock, and Registrars were instructed to note when a child was illegitimate. Even the form of words ("wife of xxxx who she declares is not the father of the child", or "yyyy widow of xxx who died on the d/m/y/") was prescribed. And yes, religion has a lot to answer for. I met a relative who was almost 100 (she did survive to be 100) who was born illegitimate, and she spoke of living with the stigma of illegitimacy all her life. Anne ________________________________ From: Maisie Egger <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, 22 July 2013, 0:32 Subject: [Lanark] Names onbptism list 1797 Have a page of baptisms for 1797 thus: XXXX in Castle Douglas had two unlawful children baptized  4th September 1797.  Named William and Jean. On the side bar the surnames  of the spouses of the other children baptized are listed once, but the one for the ‘father?’ of the unlawful children is listed twice (once for each child, if the name is for the father, i.e.) I can’t make it out: it’s either palty or patly (and I thought even partly). ..or maybe even patty...whether lower case or capital p is hard to tell. Would this be some sort of form of record-keeping for ‘unlawful’ children, or would it be the father’s surname? Regardless, how cruel in those days to stigmatise those children as unlawful even when being baptized.  What a lot ‘religion’ has to answer for that poor wee innocent souls had to carry this label throughout their lives Maisie   ------------------------------- WHEN REPLYING to a post please remember to snip most of the earlier message. Be sure the reply to address shows as [email protected] You may contact the List Admin at [email protected] or click on the following link to the list information page online:  http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/SCT/LANARK.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message