Names Given to Foundlings in County Middlesex England - International Institute

Foundlings' Names

Sometimes these were not very original, for example those surnamed PARISH, or Sarah FOUNDLING, a dropt child at St. Giles-in-the-Fields, Middlesex 1782.

Foundlings Named After Place Where Found

Parish	Register Entry
St. Pancras, Mddx 1894	“William EUSTON, a child found in a box in a railway carriage at Euston Station.”
West Monkton, Somerset 1737	“Cornelius LANE, a child left in the road.”
Rotherhithe, Surrey 1841	“Ann GATES, about 12 weeks old. Found at the gates of the workhouse at half past 8 o’clock on Friday evening 11 Dec 1840.”
St. Clement Danes, Mddx	“John White LION, found in White Lion Passage.”
St. Clement Danes, Mddx	“Mary CHANCE, found at a pawnbrokers.”
St. Clement Danes, Mddx	“Albert CURSITOR, found in Cursitor St. 1840”

Named after the Saint to Whom the Church is Dedicated

Typically the saint’s name is used as a surname, but in St. Clement Danes, Middlesex there are many examples of the use of Clement/ina as the first name and the place found as the surname:

Child	Where Found
Clement INNS	This parish includes the legal Inns of Court
Clement DANE	At the church door
Clement ESSEX	In Essex Street
Clement NORFOLK	In Norfolk Street
Clement PORTUGAL	In Portugal Street
Clementina SHIP	On ship on the Thames

Terms Used for Illegitimacy

Latin	English
Filius/filia populi	Base	Bastard
Filius meretricius	Base Born (BB)	Spurious
Natus ex fornicatione	Son of the people	Love child
Filius vulgi	Natural child	Son of an harlot
Filius terrae	Begotten in fornication	A merry begot
Filius fornicatoris	Begotten in adultery	Lamebegot
Filius unicuscujusque	A Scape begotten child	A byeblow
Filius scorti	Begotten on the body of
Filius adulterinus
Incerti vero patis	The true father is uncertain

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The original content for this article was contributed by The International Institute of Genealogical Studies in June 2012. It is an excerpt from their course Methodology - Part 1: Getting Started, Methodology - Part 2: Organizing and Skillbuilding], Methodology - Part 3: More Strategies], Methodology - Part 4: Effective Searching and Recording, Methodology - Part 5: How To Prove It, and Methodology - Part 6: Professional Preparation and Practice by Louise St Denis, Brenda Dougall Merriman and Dr. Penelope Christensen. The Institute offers over 200 comprehensive genealogy courses for a fee ($).