Vicar's comments!

[Wilkes_ml]

Just thought I'd share as I haven't come across such a descriptive vicar/curate in all the parish registers I've looked at:

At the parish of St. Nicholas, Ash, Kent baptisms performed by C. FORSTER

May 8th 1836: against the baptism of Marianne daughter of William SLATER, farmer of Sittingbourne and Martha JOHNSON of Ash "The innocent child of two unhappy sinners but the mother penitent"

July 18th 1836: against the baptism entry of Hannah daughter of John HUXTER & Jane BEERLING both of Ash "Two unhappy sinners against God"

July 31st 1836: against the baptism entry of Elijah son of thomas HOGBEN, baker of Ramsgate and Lydia ELGAN of Ash "The father an impertinent sinner the mother is believed a true penitent"

August 7th 1836: against the baptism entry of Elizabeth Ridley daughter of Thomas RIDLEY, carpenter of the Isle of Thanet and Ann Mary Whitfield EWELL of Sandwich " Unhappy violation of God's holy law"

And that is just over a couple of pages !!

[Megan Roberts]

Wonderful comments like these add so much to what would otherwise be rather dry parish records.

I once found some wonderful comments in a burial register; one about a sailor who had evidently died as a result of falling to the deck from a mast and the priest wrote "he fell on his head and was dead"; and the second about an old lady killed on a level crossing just after the railway had opened and he wrote something like "she had never seen a train and so did not think it dangerous"!

[christanel]

It's a wonder he had any attendees at his services. :biggrin:

I do love these snippets in records. Gives an insight to the character of the writer as well as those being written about.

Christina

[Lesley Robertson]

I wonder whether the Minister was a scot - it sounds like some of the Kirk registers...

[DorothySandra]

In a Hampshire register I came across an entry where the mother's name was entered, followed by "a housemaid in the service of Mr xxx of xx house in this district" (the names were given) I think it may have been a warning to families not to let their girls go into service in that house.

[Wilkes_ml]

Given the comments by this vicar, I was surprised by one entry (which I can not find now!) where no father was named and the woman just had the words "unfortunate singla woman" entered....so I wonder if anything can be read into this, such the child being the result of a non-consensual event.

Unfortunately my ancestor's cousin didn't get away from the wrath of the vicar:

12th April 1835 Susanna daughter of Thomas DAVIES, coachman of Margate and Susanna KEMP of Ash "Two un-happy violators of the holy law of God."

How come they were all "un-happy"? Surely some of them must have been happy sinners :lol:

[Neil Wilson]

A lot better phrases than the illegitimate in my paternal line, the vicar wrote either baste or even in full bast**d.

Would have been interesting phrases from this vicar as the parents (mother and suspected father who was the head of household) were first cousins :)

[Kiltpin]

From a parish register in Norfolk, circa 175X. In beautiful copperplate with flourishes.

"I have today baptised , William, the bastard son of the trollop Elsie Jones and her ne'er-do-well lodger John Smith, because the child will have enough trouble without adding God's curse."

There was more to it than that. Something about "easy virtue" and John Smith's name "appearing yet again in this register".

Regards
Kiltpin

[Wilkes_ml]

From a parish register in Norfolk, circa 175X. In beautiful copperplate with flourishes.

"I have today baptised , William, the bastard son of the trollop Elsie Jones and her ne'er-do-well lodger John Smith, because the child will have enough trouble without adding God's curse."

There was more to it than that. Something about "easy virtue" and John Smith's name "appearing yet again in this register".

Regards
Kiltpin

:lol: That's a good one!