Naming the father: is this unusual?

[Davedrave]

I have a family baptism in Gosberton, Lincolnshire in 1821. The child was Harriet Goodyear Lambert, daughter of Susan Lambert. Susan, spinster, married John Wade here in 1823. In 1839 Richard Goodyear was buried in the same village. The 1841 Census of Gosberton has Harriet Lambert living with John and Susan Wade. In 1844 Harriet Lambert married in the same village. The vicar recorded her father as John Wade in the register, but altered it to Richard Goodyear. It therefore seems that Richard Goodyear fathered Harriet but refused (?) to marry Susan and that she presumably wanted this fact to be known and christened her Goodyear. Presumably Harriet would have seen her biological father regularly in such a small place. It all seems a bit odd and I wonder how common this sort of thing was?

[avm228]

Yes, it's pretty common to find a middle name points a finger at the natural father of an illegitimate child.

Sometime the first name is included too for a male child, to make it really obvious! (E.g. "Richard Goodyear Lambert" if Harriet had been a boy).  Perhaps unwed mothers thought they were improving their chances of establishing paternity in this way, or were putting pressure on the man to marry them or at least provide financial support?

What do you know of Richard Goodyear, if anything?  Might he have been married, or of higher social status than Susan?

[stevemiller]

Following up my new Grigg lines in Cornwall I came across these baptisms.

All in Jacobstow parish to Elizabeth Shazell, with no father formally given:

1828 William Grigg SHAZELL
1832 John Whitford SHAZELL
1837 Samuel Pearn SHAZELL
1844 Richard Ferret SHAZELL

[Davedrave]

Yes, it's pretty common to find a middle name points a finger at the natural father of an illegitimate child.

Sometime the first name is included too for a male child, to make it really obvious! (E.g. "Richard Goodyear Lambert" if Harriet had been a boy).  Perhaps unwed mothers thought they were improving their chances of establishing paternity in this way, or were putting pressure on the man to marry them or at least provide financial support?

What do you know of Richard Goodyear, if anything?  Might he have been married, or of higher social status than Susan?

Thanks. I have found that in 1851 a Henry Goodyear was a farmer in Gosberton and employed servants. Harriet’s 1821 baptism entry says that Susan was a servant, so maybe working for the Goodyears, in which case I suppose she wouldn’t have had much chance if her employer’s son (Richard was almost the same age as her) was the father and the family didn’t want her to join them.

Dave

[avm228]

Sounds about right. 

[Andy_T]

I have a pdf transcript of BMD in the parish of Appleby Magna, Leicestershire from 1572 - 1804.
About 5% - 10% of births are out of wedlock and usually the record states mother's name and "the bastard (S) OR (D)".

I saw an odd exception including mother and farther's name as the following example:
"The base born (S) of "fathers name".

This stigma was something single mothers would surely dread having a "bastardy" entry in a parish record of their child.

[Maiden Stone]

If Susan Lambert had married Richard Goodyear anytime after the birth of their child, Harriet's Lambert surname would have been dropped and she would have used Goodyear as her surname.
Richard or a member of his family may have voluntarily paid an allowance towards Harriet's upkeep if Richard acknowledge paternity. If he didn't either cough-up or offer to marry her, the churchwardens and poor law guardians would have been on to him to persuade him to do the latter or make him do the former to prevent Susan and her child becoming a burden on the parish. Susan may have voluntarily named Richard as father. If she didn't, pressure would have been applied to make her name the father.  Look up Susan's and Richard's names in local quarter session petitions and bastardy orders for an affiliation and maintenance order.
 Was Susan born in the parish or had she gained residence status by being employed there continuously for a year? If neither, the parish authorities would have tried to send her back to where she belonged; in that case there might be a settlement order, followed by an appeal. Look for a settlement order with her name on in quarter session petitions.
2 of my 3xgreat-grandfathers were a bit naughty as youths. One was served with an affiliation & maintenance order in 1823. He was named as father in the baptism register and in the burial register when his son died, aged 7. The other had a son with his future wife in 1841. The father's name was on the birth certificate and the baby was given the forename of his paternal grandfather. However there was no mention of a father in baptism register or in burial register 6 months later.

[Rosinish]

Yes, it's pretty common to find a middle name points a finger at the natural father of an illegitimate child.

Sometime the first name is included too for a male child, to make it really obvious! (E.g. "Richard Goodyear Lambert" if Harriet had been a boy). 

What do you know of Richard Goodyear, if anything?

I have found that in 1851 a Henry Goodyear was a farmer in Gosberton and employed servants. Harriet’s 1821 baptism entry says that Susan was a servant, so maybe working for the Goodyears, in which case I suppose she wouldn’t have had much chance if her employer’s son (Richard was almost the same age as her) was the father and the family didn’t want her to join them.

Hmm,

I think a pretty good case for circumstantial evidence...

Daughter named Harriet Goodyear Lambert, reputed g/father named Henry i.e. as avm pointed out, in this case the female version of Henry seems to have been making a statement although it may just be a coincidence if Susan's father was also named Henry?

Annie

[Maiden Stone]

I have a pdf transcript of BMD in the parish of Appleby Magna, Leicestershire from 1572 - 1804.
About 10% of births are out of wedlock and usually the record states "the bastard (S) OR (D) of mother's name".

I saw an odd exception stating for example:
"The base born (S) of "fathers name".

I don't think any mother would relish an bastardy entry in a parish record for their child.

I've researched illegitimate births 18th-early 19th centuries in a few parishes in Lancashire. I also found average to have been around 10%. Fathers or "reputed" fathers were named for some.
One child with a named father was born to a cousin of my previously mentioned "naughty" ancestor. A man with the same name as the baby's father had died in the parish several months earlier. Had he lived they would probably have married as their fathers were both comfortably off and the young woman was an only child who inherited all her father's property 20 years later. A local businessman who had same surname as her son's father was an executor of the will.
 About half of the mothers married within 3 years. Many of their husbands were labourers or servants and some were sailors (one was a coastal parish and the period included major wars). Fathers of some babies may not have been in a position to marry before the birth.
A memorable baptism entry is for a child born during war with France; parents were a married woman and a man who was not her husband. Curate has added a pointed comment that the woman's husband had been away with the ___ Regiment for the past 2 years.
There were repeat offenders among women in one parish. The vicar helpfully put "3rd b..... daughter of Ann Winstanley" in baptism register.