Hi Laura Gavin will probably give you a full reply to your query but I have looked at quite a lot of Parish Records of Births and must say I have not come across the description of the mother as 'party'. Are you sure this is the correct word? Could it be 'spouse'? In the first instance you give this records the birth of an illegitimate child. If the couple were married the child would be described as 'Lawful' not 'Natural'. Bear in mind that although an 'irregular' marriage was frowned upon by the Kirk it was perfectly legal and if the parties married after the birth of a child and were free to marry at the time of the birth then the child could be legitimised by that subsequent marriage. The interpretation of your second example could depend on the exact wording. Ian A C Scott

Thanks, Ian; I'm pretty sure of the wording. They were quite clear when they said spouse or wife. Here are a couple from the same page of the register for Duthil: Hugh, son to James Watson, squarewright at Grantown, and Elspeth Grant his party was born 20th and baptized 28th May 1781 Isobel, daughter to John Fraser farmer in Mullochard and Barbara Cruikshank his party was baptized the 19? August 1781 I haven't checked to see if it is a tem used in later years, perhaps it went out of style in the 1800s and they started phrasing it differently? Laura > Hi Laura > > Gavin will probably give you a full reply to your query but I have looked at > quite a lot of Parish Records of Births and must say I have not come across > the description of the mother as 'party'. Are you sure this is the correct > word? Could it be 'spouse'? > > In the first instance you give this records the birth of an illegitimate > child. If the couple were married the child would be described as 'Lawful' not > 'Natural'. Bear in mind that although an 'irregular' marriage was frowned upon > by the Kirk it was perfectly legal and if the parties married after the birth > of a child and were free to marry at the time of the birth then the child > could be legitimised by that subsequent marriage. The interpretation of your > second example could depend on the exact wording. > > Ian A C Scott > Gavin: I've run across these two phrasing in the parish registers regarding births, is either of them describing a child born to one of the "irregular" marriages you describe below? Grace, natural daughter of James McBain and Margaret Grant, born . . . Robert, son of James McBain and Margaret Grant his party, born . . Laura > > ==== MORAY Mailing List ==== > MORAY OPR's. The OPR's for the Moray area are now starting to be transcribed > and volunteers are needed. Would anyone interested in transcribing the OPR's > for our area please contact me via my usual email address or visit the Moray > Rootsweb pages and contact me via the mailing list Admin. > > ============================== > View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find > marriage announcements and more. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx >