Genealogy Chat

I've spent a few hours today rummaging through Parish Registers on line and have found several mentions of baseborn, bastard, illegitimate etc. It's odd that Baseborn often follows directly from the child's name and therefore might be read as a surname as distinct from picking up on mother's name.

When I checked IGI there are a few records showing with Baseborn as a surname - so it might be worth checking if you can't find someone.

Same is also true of Bastard as a surname on Ancestry - several records in the very long list that comes up have middle names that sound suspiciously like surnames so I wonder whether they were misheard/misread and the surname incorrectly applied on records.

Just a thought if you can't find someone ...

Jill

Jill

I had someone with Baseborn after their name, I might be getting mixed up but I am sure I remember asking about it in a record office I was at, and they said it meant first born. As I say I may be wrong.

Marilyn

Well, the records for Meopham, Kent use it to mean illegitimate. Depending on the vicar/rector who wrote in the book. They later used illegitimate. I've often seen it as baseborn son of [single woman] but not often seen it following the child's name which was why I checked on Ancestry and the IGI.

I've never seen it used as firstborn but maybe it is in some areas. Confusing.

Jill

Jill

Just googled baseborn and you are right, it means illegiitimate or born out of wedlock, must have got mixed up, sorry.

Marilyn

Jill & Marilyn

I suppose you could both be right - as the first born was quite often an 'accident', therefore illegitimate.
Also, in some rural areas, a couple didn't marry until the bride to be had produced a child and proved she was fertile - so that child would have a mother & father who hadn't quite married - not quite a bastard, not quite legitimate!!

maggie
maggie

Hi Maggie

I remember reading something about that a little while ago - good thinking.

Jill