Genealogy Chat

In the 1901 Census I have seen the youngest member of the family (ie same surname) described in the relationship column as "Chance Child"

Does anyone know what the term meant?

I can guess for myself that he was either adopted or illegitimate.

David, would you mind telling us who & where this is - wouldn't mind a look!
jan

Hi David

Had to "google" this one--not heard of it before


Definition of CHANCE CHILD
: an illegitimate child

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chance%20child

Barbara x

Very interesting - have never heard of this. I quite like the term, better than 'illegitimate' anyway.
jan

Yes it is, Jan, a lot nicer than the usual terms, I wonder why it wasn't used more ----if a term had to be used--for illegitimate children.

Barbara x

Far better than an ancestor of mine who listed his daughters son as
Bastard son of daughter

Methinks he did not approve, but she and the son were living with him and the rest of the family. :-D

I don't think calling the child Bastard son of daughter meant that her father didn't approve, PigletsPal. It was just the appropriate word in those times and wasn't meant in a nasty way.

There were lots of what we would call "unacceptable" words used on census records - such as idiot, imbecile etc. but it was just a way of classifying different disabilities and not meant to be nasty.

30 years ago people with cerebral palsy were referred to as "spastic" (even the charity formed on their behalf had this name, but it wouldn't be acceptable today. Things just change with time.

Kath. x

Oh he did disapprove - this branch of my family were strong methodists and deeply religious

But he was a publican - which was odd in itself. :-D

I have a baptism record for a cousin of one of my ancestors from around 1760 which reads, John, reputed ye bastarde son of Thomas G, soldier, and Grace T

Kath, even worse than that, when I was at primary school during the '50s in Liverpool, the term "Spas" was used to refer to anyone who was what we might call a plonker today, and no-one batted an eyelid.

I wonder how many words used today will be frowned upon in 100 years time?

The original find is on RG13; Piece: 3147; Folio: 132; Page: 14
Alice Brentnall is give as "Chance Child" aged 5. The Head of the family, John Brentnall (1846 Marlpool, Derbys) and the rest is on the previous page.

I also have (from the IGI)
JOHN CHANCE COLEMAN (extr)
Christening: 06 APR 1840 Selston, Nottingham, England
Mother: FANNEY COLEMAN

The phrase appears in "Oliver Twist" published in 1837-1839 (p6) "Noah was a charity-boy, but not a workhouse orphan. No chance-child was he, for he could trace his genealogy all the way back to his parents, who lived hard by ..."

Interesting.

I see that Alice's father is a widower in the 1901 census and the next child before Alice was aged 12. It would be interesting to see who Alice's mother was. This looks like Alice's birth:-

Name: BRENTNALL, Alice
Registration District: Basford
County: Nottinghamshire
Year of Registration: 1895
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Mother's Maiden Name: Not available before 1911 Q3
Volume No: 7B
Page No: 171

I wonder if she is John's daughter or the daughter of one of his older daughters.

IGP - My own sons used to use the same term about the same sort of people when they were at school. Thankfully neither of them would use the term today, but it shows how things change.

Kath. x

I suggest that you buy Alice's birth certificate, and that will tell you the mother's name.


The only female on that 1901 census who is really old enough to have a 5/6 year old child is Charlotte. But there might have been an older daughter who was married or moved out of the house by 1901







sylvia

I came across the expression in a parish register today and didn't know what it meant.

Googling it, I found this thread which I must have missed in 2011. Thank you David Mills for asking and those who replied.