From: "Michael Outlaw" <[email protected]> > As is so often the case in matters relating to sexual mores, there > were many different ways of expressing this concept, 'natural' being one of > the kindest. Many parsons would happily use the noun 'bastard' although > 'base' or 'baseborn' were probably the most frequent.> In 40 years in family history I have come across many euphemisms for illegitimacy. Some clerics were extremely censorious and vicious in their condemnation, employing phrases like "whore" and "man-trap" of the mother. I particularly like one from Staffordshire in 1752 where an unfortunate woman was described by the vicar, when baptising her illegitimate child, in the following terms: "The mother is an impudent, brutish and profligate wretch, deformed in body, but much more deformed in mind." However, some incumbents were kinder and my favourite description of all is "Merrily begotten", which has delightful rural implications of a tumble in the haystack! -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Famous family trees blog: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/tag/roy-stockdill/ "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE