One of my great-grandmothers had a child fathered by another man at least two years after her first husband passed away. She gave the child the surname of her deceased husband instead of the biological father. Perhaps so it would be the same as the ten other siblings in the family? She actually married and then divorced the man who we believe fathered the child.
-----Original Message-----
From: Kathleen Much <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tue, May 17, 2011 8:27 am
Subject: Re: surname of illegitimate child ?
I know of two 18th-century Virginia cases where illegitimate children took
he name of their biological father.
Rawleigh Chinn was married to Easter Ball, but he had three sons by her
idowed cousin Margaret (Ball) Downman. They were Charles (b. 1723),
hristopher (b. 1728), and Elijah (b. 1731) Chinn. As far as I know they
ere never called Ball or Downman--if anyone has evidence to the contrary,
lease post it.
From Richmond Co Order Books 9 and 10, we see:
July 1728 - Margaret Downman was cited by the grand jury for bearing a
astard child.
Oct 1729 - Living in adultery with Rawleigh Chinn
Nov 1730 - Living in adultery with Rawleigh Chinn
Mar 1731 - Bearing a bastard child within 6 months
In another case, Hannah Ludwell (Lee) Corbin, widow of Gawin Corbin, lived
ith Dr Richard Lingan Hall until his death and bore him two children.
lisha Hall Corbin and Martha Hall Corbin were so called as children, but
ater in life they used their father's name, Hall.
I'm not near my reference books, but I remember other cases when someone was
aptized "for Mr X", presumably because he acknowledged paternity, although
e was not married to the mother. Nevertheless, the general rule was for the
hild to take the mother's surname. Rules were often broken.
Practice in the colonies may have been different, but in England, foundlings
ere sometimes given the name of the parish church as a surname. I imagine
t was harder to hide an illegitimate birth in Virginia, so I wouldn't
xpect many cases here.
Kathleen
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