Baptism record with mother identified by Surname followed by "Spr"

[David Mann]

In the late 1700s early 1800s my 4th GGM had 12 children. All children were baptised in the Anglican Church. All of their baptism records give all of the usual information but after the mother's surname it states "Spr". I assume this means "spinster". If I'm correct it seems to imply that she was unmarried. The father is always the same and the children took his surname so he clearly took responsibility for them. Would the church have sanctioned baptism if the children were illegitimate? Could "Spr" mean something else?

[ChristineR]

'Spurious' meaning illegitimate birth springs to mind - you would have to look at the rest of the entries in the register to see how that particular minister handled such baptisms. If this was his intention, he was keeping it discrete by not blazoning it across the entry :)

The church did baptize out of wedlock children - plenty of them - the sins of the parents were not placed on the child.

Christine

[David Mann]

Thanks Christine - do you know of cases where "spurious" was actually used in an effort to be discrete? Sounds very plausible to me. I have looked at some contemporary records by the same vicar and mine are the only ones that I have found which give the Mother's Surname. All seems to add up to the same conclusion. I appreciate your help.

[Peter Goodey]

...cases where "spurious" was actually used in an effort to be discrete?

Sorry but nothing discrete about the word spurious. From the Latin spurius. Beware words that acquire modified meanings over the years.

[pipsqueak]

Sorry but nothing discrete about the word spurious. From the Latin spurius. Beware words that acquire modified meanings over the years.

Not to mention discreet misspellings..... ;)

[Peter Goodey]

Indeed. Beware the danger of quoting quotes :)

[David Mann]

Ignoring the spelling lesson I note that one definition of the word spurious is "Illegitimate" so I'll go along with Christine's original answer.
spu·ri·ous (spyr-s)
adj.
1. Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine; false.
2. Of illegitimate birth.
3. Botany Similar in appearance but unlike in structure or function. Used of plant parts.
[From Late Latin spurius

[ChristineR]

When I said being "discreet", (the penny finally dropped - wrong spelling) I meant that he had written it in an abbreviated form, if that was his intention by writing 'Spr' at the end of the entry.

If the entry is after all baptisms, then I think it would must mean that it was known by the minister that the pair were not married. Perhaps one of them still had a spouse alive in the town. And using the mother's surname too, when it isn't his normal practice, seems to indicate that too.

Hope he wasn't like one of my lot - had two lots of children going, one with his wife, the other with his wife's sister. But the curate there could not contain himself when they went along all together to baptize the babies - leaving comments and exclamation marks in the register :D

Christine

[David Mann]

Now that is an interesting possibility - I'll have to go looking for another wife.
Thanks Christine
David
Phillip Island
Victoria