Records from Northumberland County during the early-18th century include 
examples of surnames of illegitimate children.

Mary Day, unmarried servant to the Webb family, gave birth to twins, 
John and Rachel in 1691.

Rachel is referred to as Rachel Day in records dated 1709 and 1712, but 
as Rachel Webb alias Day in another record dated 1712/1713.

When Rachel gave birth to a daughter, the child identified in a court 
record as Winnifred Day alias Webb.

Mary Day's third child, also born out of wedlock, was called Samuel Webb 
in a record dated 1694 and Samuel Webb alias Day in records dated 
1712/1713, 1715, and 1723.

Summary, Mary Day, her daughter Rachel, and her granddaughter Winnifred 
were servants of the Webb family.  Rachel and Winnifred were known by 
the surname of their maternal ancestor as well as the surname of their 
employers; however, Mary Day's son Samuel was known as Samuel Webb alias 
Day, although he was not a servant to the Webb family.

Another example of the use of double surnames occurs with my ancestor 
who was born in Northumberland County and who was a servant to the Hoult 
family.He is called John Figrow in a record dated 1719, John Oxendine 
alias Figro in records dated 1725/1725, and John Oxendine in subsequent 
records.  I have not found other records from the colonial period with 
the surnames Figro or Oxendine or anything similar.  My assumption is 
that John's mother's surname was Figrow and his father's surname was 
Oxendine, but would like to have documentation of this.



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