Muslims getting baptised

[rogerb]

There is a Westminster baptism from 1691 where the person involved is a 19 year old Mustapha Hassen.  I am making the assumption he was Muslim from the name.  So first of all, does this seem reasonable and was it a fairly common practice in the 1600s?

Secondly, if Mustapha did become a Christian, would he be likely to Anglicise his name?

[ShaunJ]

He was from Buda which was predominantly Muslim until it was taken by Christian forces in 1686.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buda

[rogerb]

How did you find that out Shaun?  I have only ever seen the index on Ancestry.  Are there any other details?

[ShaunJ]

Ancestry has the register image: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/61865/images/61865_314054001181_18065-00079

[rogerb]

Thanks - don't know how I have missed that over the years!

Does anyone think that he would keep his name having been baptised or would he change it to something more English sounding?

[ShaunJ]

I think it's one of the Westminster record images which used to be exclusive to FindMyPast but now are exclusive to Ancestry.

We can surmise that he was brought to England by one of the English soldiers who took part in the siege of Buda, converted to Christianity and duly baptised as an adult. So his given name Mustapha became his Christian name and in the circumstances I think it unlikely that he would have Anglicised it after the baptism - but it's possible.

[Ashtone]

Very interesting article here: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35843991

[susieroe]

I have seen on the News today that many asylum seekers convert from Islam to Christianity in order to facilitate their claim, including the bomber in Liverpool on Remembrance Sunday. He did not change his name. I imagine it was similar for your man; it made life easier for him in England for work, accomodation, social reasons, etc., but he still wished to acknowledge his roots.