Hello all,

I seem to have been suffering under the illusion ever since reading *Tess
of the Turbervilles* in sophomore English class that the Anglican church
did not allow for the baptism of bastard children.* But in going through
the Christ Church, Middlesex County parish register for the late 1600s and
early 1700s, I see that there are hundreds of bastard child baptisms. These
usually only name the mother. Also of interest are a considerable number of
slave children being baptized, which I also found unusual. So, gentle
readers, where did I go astray regarding canon law in colonial Virginia?

Craig Kilby

*Those of you who were forced to read this drivel may recall that Tess
found herself in a family way without benefit of matrimony, and then the
baby died. She then has a nightmare that the devil was tossing the infant
boy around in the flames of hell on his pitchfork. Our teacher, dear Mrs.
Timmons, asked the class what this meant. One wag in class quickly answered
her with, "Burn, Baby, Burn!" She was not amused, but the rest of the class
went into an uproar!

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