Essex orphans & church foundlings (Background & history)

[The Geneal Geologist]

My GRACE family name may not be a genetic family name but an orphan or church foundling name. I am therefore interested in any historical information on how orphans were handled around the time my 3xGGF was born in 1811/1812, especially in the Colchester area.
(Please also refer to my GRACE Family posting).

I understand orphans handled by the church were often given religious significant surnames such as TEMPLE and perhaps in my case, GRACE.

On all the above cases, where would such documentation exist to say such and such a child had been given this name?

My 3xGGF's first name is Jeremiah. I had thought this suggested some Non-Conformist connections, but it is the name of a prophet.

Thanks for any historical clues that may help a 30-year quest.

Regards,
Mark Grace

[medhist]

My GRACE family name may not be a genetic family name but an orphan or church foundling name. I am therefore interested in any historical information on how orphans were handled around the time my 3xGGF was born in 1811/1812, especially in the Colchester area.
(Please also refer to my GRACE Family posting).

I understand orphans handled by the church were often given religious significant surnames such as TEMPLE and perhaps in my case, GRACE.

On all the above cases, where would such documentation exist to say such and such a child had been given this name?

My 3xGGF's first name is Jeremiah. I had thought this suggested some Non-Conformist connections, but it is the name of a prophet.

Thanks for any historical clues that may help a 30-year quest.

Regards,
Mark Grace

Hello Mark

The evidence would be in the baptism register of the church in whose parish a foundling was discovered. Alternatively, if he came from the foundling hospital in London in the 18th and 19th century the evidence would be in Foundling Hospital Records at what used to be the Greater London Record Office or Coram Charity in London. It had its own chapel.

Foundlings were normally sent out of towns to country parishes to be nursed and returned to the home parish when old enough to be apprenticed.  If they came from London the foundlings would normally be given the christian name of either a saint or biblical figure and the surname of the church.  If you have found him in marriage or burial records it often mentions this in the parish register of the parish he was sent to. 

There is a church in the city of London St Something Gracechurch(sorry can't remember full name) it might be worth looking there. Though Gracechurch would be more likely.  He may have decided to drop the second part and call himself Grace.  In the Colchester area there may be a parish which routinely gave foundlings that name as a surname.  It would be a question or searching through baptism registers to find out.  Occasionally foundling were taken into private homes and adopted and given any name at will in which case there will probably be no firm evidence I'm afraid.

Foundlings were sent vast distances outside towns including up the Yorkshire or Somerset from London not just to local parishes.  If found in rural parishes they often stayed in the parish and were nursed by Parish nurses.  In that case evidence would be in the register and in any church papers to do with paupers.  London Parishes mention them in such things as Vestry Minutes and Churchwardens accounts.

Hope this helps
Valerie

[The Geneal Geologist]

Thank you Valerie.
Having checked all original Essex church records I can rule out the local records in Colchester or anywhere else in the county. It is very rare, and certainly no parish naming pattern. I would imagine such orphan baptisms have not found their way to the LDS records, since no Jeremiah clues exist there either.

The Gracechurch idea is new and I will certainly look into it. The Foundling Hospital records are something I have been unsuccessful in locating from outside of the UK, although I recently heard about the institution. I am reliant on online indices and contacts through the Web.

Thanks again for the leads.
Mark

[The Geneal Geologist]

Val - Just to confirm: The Guildhall Library in London confirms the church as St Benets Gracechurch. They were kind enough to do a quick search and no GRACEs unfortunately.

Regards,
mark

[Clincher]

I followed through your own possible clue and searched to IGI for all baptisms of Jeremiahs (leaving surname blank) born in 1811 + or - 2 years and got 26 hits for Essex. They included a Bishop in Manuden, 4 Pilgrims in White or Earls Colne and an Emen in St Leonard's Colchester.
So that theory may have some legs to it. Unfortunately the IGI does not include all baptisms.
I have come across the name Crace in Essex but that got no results at all on IGI

[The Geneal Geologist]

Thanks v. much Clincher.
Those surnames are spooky, though, aren't they? I will add them as possibles to my list.

Regards,
Mark
(currently relying on genetic genealogy for his paternal origins).

[The Geneal Geologist]

It is now another decade since this original discussion and no further progress has been made on this investigation - a real brickwall. atDNA results are few, but too few to triangulate to indicate marker segments that can be wholly attributed to the GRACE side.