In a message dated 12/1/98 12:47:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, spearsj@bellsouth.net writes: << that the Church of England was pretty >much a "State Church" and did not recognise marriages by the Babtist >church. Thus legally since John and Jean had not been married the >children whould take on the surname of the mother. >> Extraordinary! Could this be true? If so, it might explain a lot of problems people are having establishing parents in that time frame. Anxious to hear other opinions or quotes from good sources. Edna Clack