My 6x gt,gdfather while married, had 2 children with a mistress, born in 1782 &1784, they were baptised under the maiden name of the mistress, Meacher, this mistress then married someone else, so 6x gt,gdfather found another mistress, and she had 4 children by him, all baptised under her maiden name of Hatch. After 6x gt,gdfathers wife died in 1797 he married his second mistress. The 4 children that were born before the marriage under the name Hatch then used the surname of my 6xgt,gdfather.
Would the children just have adopted the surname or would there be some legal or church proceedure to go through?
also i have found the second child from the first mistress living with 6x gt gdfather and his new wife, but he has retained the surname Meacher, why did he retain his estranged mothers maiden name and not use his fathers surname?
I have copies of bastardy bonds for all 6 children where both mistresses have charged my 6x gt gdfather with being the father and he has acknowledged them, proving he is the father.
Ivor
