What Happended to Illegitimate Babies in the 1880s in Boston
Illegitimate Children [edit | edit source]
An illegitimate child is when the mother and begetter were not married at the time of the child's birth. Other names for illegitimate children are natural born, bastard, and base of operations-born. The less common words used were spurious, imputed, reputed, and misbegotten.[one]
An illegitimate kid could be very well hidden, as the family did non want the public to know that the children was illegitimate. An illegitimate child oft used the mother'due south surname and was frequently prohibited from inheriting property.[ii]
How to Recognize an Illegitimate Child [edit | edit source]
Sure scenarios will be easier to spot than others. The idea of illegitimacy usually comes from oral histories. It is a adept reason to speculate and research further if a story is passed down that an antecedent was either adopted or illegitimate.
An illegitimate child tin can be recognized in nascency records and when they seem out of identify in the demography records.
An example of possible illegitimacy is when there's a household in the census with all sons anile 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 13, and ii. This should cause a red flag, especially if the mother is beyond kid-bearing historic period and at that place were no daughters that might exist the potential mother.[3]
In the 1850 demography, Sally Blair would accept been over the age of 40 to have Roswell Blair in 1844. There is likewise a 9-year age gap between Mildred and Roswell in this census to point that Roswell may be illegitimate if his mother was not one of the other females in the household.
In the 1860 census, Roswell is listed equally Roswell Elliott instead of Roswell Blair. It's possible that someone could quickly assume that Elliott was Roswell'southward middle name and he would still have the surname of Blair. Simply every bit the census is analyzed carefully, there is no 'ditto' marks for Roswell concerning his last name. Sallie, Parker, Cynthia, and Mildred all received 'ditto' marks for their last proper name. Information technology is important to clarify relationships when no relationships to caput of household were given.
Through additional research, Roswell was indeed an illegitimate kid, and Nathan Blair took Roswell Elliott in when he was immature.
Records to Search and Strategize With [edit | edit source]
Birth and Expiry Records [edit | edit source]
Depending on the time period and where your ancestor was built-in in the United States, the birth record would list who the mother was. It is besides possible that information technology would include the word "illegitimate" aslope the birth information. It is more likely that the father's name would not be included in the birth record if the child was illegitimate.
Death records are similar to birth records, every bit it is not likely that both parent's names would be listed. They would get out the father'due south field bare or list "unknown". This signals that the kid was peradventure illegitimate. Information technology'south non expected that the informant would know who the father was if the child was illegitimate.
Church Records [edit | edit source]
Although church records are non always available, church records are another good indicator to find out more information on whether your ancestor is illegitimate if government records were not created yet. Check what records are bachelor for the location you lot're searching. Sure phrases could be found in christening records that reveal their illegitimacy.
Examples: "Baptized William Smith, son of Sara Smith and the reputed son of William Brown."
This means that William Brown admits the kid is his (or it has been proved to be his.)
"Baptized William Smith, son of Sarah Smith and the imputed son of William Brown."
This means that William Dark-brown does not accept the child as his.[iv]
Only similar vital records, the church records may non listing the begetter's proper name, which would betoken illegitimacy. Another clue that a child is illegitimate is if the child has the female parent'south maiden name given in the record instead of the father'southward surname.
Quaker records specifically tin be very forthcoming virtually an illegitimate child. This is because the person volition be disowned and no longer part of the Quaker's religion if they have an illegitimate kid. The women'southward monthly minutes are a good place to discover these records if you know your antecedent was a Quaker. Birth records were non equally consistent as Quaker monthly minutes, but both places should exist searched.
Court Records [edit | edit source]
In that location are various court records available that could bespeak more than information about an illegitimate child. At that place is no one specific record type that will guarantee to take the information about the begetter. It depends on what information was given to the recorder. Since there was no book set bated for illegitimacy, the records concerning the child could exist found in the FamilySearch Catalog nether infinitesimal books, civil action papers, miscellaneous, bastardy bonds, apprenticeship, orphan, probate, and guardianship records.
Another mode to discover court records is to go to your local public library and log onto WorldCat.org to see what records are available for the area y'all are researching. All of the courtroom records mentioned might be retrieved though Interlibrary Loans. Interlibrary Loans provide a quick way to guild books and other physical materials from participating libraries around the world.
Collections Examples:
Genealogical selections from the acts of the Louisiana legislature, 1804-1879
Tennessee 1778-1914: a drove of items including illegitimacy, adoption, etc.
Bastardy Bonds [edit | edit source]
Bastardy bonds are non e'er bachelor depending on the surface area merely tin can be a skilful resources. A bastardy bond is divers equally "a promise to pay a certain sum of coin given by the male parent of an illegitimate child to ensure that no public monies would have to exist spent on the child. Sometimes the mother would post this bond, but this was very exceptional."[5]
In other words, the father was paying for the child'due south support for a sure length of fourth dimension, and then the county would not be responsible for the child'south upkeep.[half-dozen] But not all fathers filed and paid the bonds. These bonds can be found in the FamilySearch Catalog under various championship names such every bit: court, miscellaneous, loose papers, etc. It is likely for them to be entwined with other court records, equally it was uncommon for the court to have a divide book for these records.
Due north Carolina has all-encompassing records of bastardy bonds for each county.
Collection Examples:
Due north Carolina 1736-1957 Bastardy bonds and records
Northward Carolina bastardy bonds
Other states have bastardy bonds, but they are not as extensive. To meet what is available on the FamilySearch Catalog, a keyword search of "bastardy bonds" tin be used to indicate which counties kept these records. To narrow downwards the search even more than, include the state or the country and county that y'all are researching in to see what is bachelor. These bonds are non yet indexed.
The bastardy bonds are not likely online for every county. They may be constitute in person at the county courthouses, if still preserved.
There are record collections (some digitized) and books institute on FamilySearch for Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and West Virginia:
Cleburne County, Alabama 1884-1950 Miscellaneous loose files
Chatham County, Georgia 1890-1950 Miscellaneous bonds (bastardy etc)
Tattnall County, Georgia 1801-1870 loose papers
Jefferson County, Tennessee Maintenance (bastardy) 1807-1857)
Nineteenth century Tennessee: adoptions, legitimations, and proper noun changes
Pendleton County, W Virginia 1866-1925 bonds (including bastardy)
Apprentice Records [edit | edit source]
An apprenticeship consisted of a contract between two parties, one of which is unremarkably a minor (the "amateur") who is leap to the other person (the "principal") to serve him for a stated period of time, during which the master agrees to teach the apprentice an fine art, skill, or trade while providing consummate maintenance. The agreement may include a grant of money, clothing, and/or property upon completion of the term.
These records are a possible way to learn more about your ancestor if they were the apprentice. Depending on the area, each apprentice record could be different. Ideally, they would list the names of the parents or guardian. If the kid's named parent is the mother, then the kid could probable accept been built-in out of wedlock.[7] The guardian might also be a relative of the amateur. The record might give an indication of who the ancestor was living with at the time.
These collections may be plant in the FamilySearch Catalog, under various titles such as business organisation, court, and public records. To see what is bachelor on the Catalog, a keyword search of "apprentice" or "apprenticeship" with the country y'all're researching equally the "place" category volition narrow downwards your research. By doing this you will not go apprenticeship records outside of the United States.
Google tin can also exist a beneficial manner to see if they are available in the area you're researching. Sure cities and counties may have these records on their ain websites for the public to use.
Collections Examples (indexed and non-indexed):
FindMyPast.com - Apprentices in Education and Work
The states, Freedmen'south Bureau Labor Contracts, Indenture and Apprenticeship Records, 1865-1872
District of Columbia 1812-1893 Indentures of apprenticeship
Washington County, District of Columbia 1802-1811 Indentures of apprenticeship recorded in the Orphans Court
Shush County, Georgia 1867-1919 Indenture and apprenticeship records
Allen Canton, Indiana 1824-1912 Business organisation records including apprenticeships
Todd County, Kentucky 1820-1888 Indentures of apprenticeship
Carroll County, Mississippi freedmen apprenticeship records
New Madrid County, Missouri 1810-1910 apprenticeship bonds containing names of heirs
Fredericksburg, Virginia Apprentice Records
Additional Resource:
Your Guide to Finding and Using Apprenticeship (Guild) and Indenture Records for Genealogical Research
Orphan Records [edit | edit source]
Depending on the circumstances and time catamenia of the parents, an illegitimate child could terminate upwards in orphan records. If the father does not help financially or is non in the picture, the female parent could take had a hard time supporting her children. If she could non proceed up financially, the mother might abandon her children, and they would be placed in an orphanage.[8] If the child's parents died when they were immature and had no family, they could take been placed upwards for adoption.
Guardianship Records [edit | edit source]
Sometimes family members can be appointed to be the child's guardian, and it volition be included in guardianship records in the county. But at that place are also times when a child is taken in by a family unit, and no guardianship record was made. Guardianship records can be resourceful just may not plain country if a child was illegitimate. The record volition need to be further analyzed and used with other records to learn more near the child's parents.
Newspapers [edit | edit source]
Newspapers can exist searched to find obituaries of the people who took the illegitimate child in. Information technology is not a guarantee, but it is possible that information technology may mention that a person raised their niece or nephew. Finding the obituary of the supposed illegitimate kid would exist beneficial to run across what information is given nigh them.
Probate Records [edit | edit source]
Since illegitimate children often did not obtain inheritance, there is a possibility that the child may be mentioned in wills that they were a natural or base-born child.
Conclusion [edit | edit source]
It is important to use multiple records to learn if someone was illegitimate. Using indirect and direct show volition help conclude the legitimacy (or illegitimacy) of a person. Sometimes it is not manifestly stated, merely often analyzing each record and using them together will make one capable of making a conclusion. It is non likely that your ancestor volition be found in all these records. In some cases, the record coverage may be very low and may not have any records to wait through. Looking for information about the illegitimate child's parents tin be very hard. The answer may not be constitute online or in a microfilm. The records that are needed may be in the courthouse in the canton that you lot're researching in and will not exist available online.
Additional Resources [edit | edit source]
https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/lett/2269/
https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/lett/2519/
https://www.genealogy.com/manufactures/inquiry/52_donna.html
https://lisalisson.com/2017/x/16/how-to-enquiry-your-illegitimate-ancestors/
http://world wide web.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tutorials/miscellaneous/illegitimate-ancestors
References [edit | edit source]
- ↑ Donna Przecha, "Illegitimate Children and Missing Fathers," Genealogy.com, accessed July 03, 2018, https://world wide web.genealogy.com/articles/research/52_donna.html.
- ↑ Sherri Abromavage, "Bastardy Bonds in General," Genealogy.com, accessed July 03, 2018, https://world wide web.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/lett/2519/
- ↑ "Illegitimate Ancestors," Who Practise You lot Think Yous Are Magazine, accessed July 03, 2018, http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tutorials/miscellaneous/illegitimate-ancestors.
- ↑ "Illegitimacy," Moonfleet Family History, accessed July 03, 2018, http://www.moonfleetonline.co.uk/history/illegitimacy/.
- ↑ Sherri Abromavage, "Bastardy Bonds in Full general," Genealogy.com, accessed July 03, 2018, https://world wide web.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/lett/2519/
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Lisa Lisson, "How To Research Your Illegitimate Ancestors," Are You My Cousin? October 21, 2017, accessed July 07, 2018, https://lisalisson.com/2017/10/16/how-to-enquiry-your-illegitimate-ancestors.
- ↑ Linda Gordon, "Single Mothers and Child Neglect, 1880-1920." American Quarterly 37, no. 2 (1985): 174. doi:10.2307/2712897.
parsonenterhad1964.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Illegitimacy_in_the_United_States
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