Dorchester
All Saints Church Dorchester
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NOTES:- 2. Readers are reminded that the year started on 25 March not 1st January until the year 1752. 3. Checked against the IGI, any differences commented upon. 4. The vast majority of people in these returns only have one Christian name. Where there are two and the child is base born the second name is likely to be the surname of the father. From 1733 a woman pregnant of a bastard was required to declare herself and name the father. The father if convicted was gaoled until he gave security to indemnify the parish from its expense. Where he had wealth or lived in another parish this might give rise to a Bastardy Bond. Up to 1743/4 a bastard had settlement where he/she was born but after that date he/she had the settlement of his/her mother and technically the mother was to be publically whipped. Churchwardens were accountable for the collection of rates and Overseers of the poor for distribution of funds so a pregnant woman would be questioned as to the fathers identity and made to pay for her 'lying in', the attendance of a midwide at the birth, and the subsequent upkeep of the child. Often the manifestation of this process resulted in the child being baptised with the fathers surname as his/her second name so there was no doubt about parentage and who had to pay for support. Original Document Heading:- Copied by the Rev RG Bartelott MA [Note He was the vicar of St Georges Church Fordington between 1906 and 1936] Printed with the permission of the Rev SEV Filleul MA Rector; The usual parchment Commonwealth Register 12 inches by 8 dating baptisms from 1653 - Burials and Marriages from 1654. The handwriting by the Parish Clerk is very illegible especially the earlier part where spelling is apparently treated as a phonetic perquisite used by the clerk to prevent anyone but himself from deciphering the entries: Vol 2 12 inches by 8: Vol 3 12 inches by 8 ½: Vol 4 15 inches by 9 ½ . Register Dorchester by R.G.Bartelott MA Volume II |
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Christenings 1750
1750 |