Vital Records Tour Continued-
Examples of Birth / Baptismal Records

Illegitimate Births

It is important to note that all illegitimate births had to be recorded along with legitimate births in the parish registers.  However, since the mother was not legally married according to the church, the legitimate father of the child is not known.  Therefore, the father's name is never listed, even if the priest and everyone in the village might have known exactly who the father was!

In place of the father's name, you may find a symbol of "X" or "O", or the Latin terms "Pater Ignotus" ("unknown father") or "Patris Ignoranti"  ("of an unknown father") or "Ignotus Parens" ("unknown parent"), or the father's name could simply be left blank.

The last name of the child, therefore, is officially the last name of the unwed mother.  This last name will carry throughout the child's life, and will be listed on the child's subsequent marriage and death records.  (Though in some cases, if the mother eventually marries, the husband's last name could be found listed for the previously illegitimate birth child's last name in subsequent marriage and death records.)

In the first example, the father's name is listed as "Ignotus Parens" ("Unknown Parent") while the mother's maiden name is not known.  Her name is simply recorded as "Carolina".  In the second example, the father's name is listed with a sign "+", while you find the unwed mother's full name "Carolina Maciborkowa".  Most likely, this is one and the same unwed mother since it's the same house number.  However, only a complete study of the village to determine all residents of that house number and any other possible candidates named "Carolina" can verify this.   Keep in mind the possibility that the house number recorded may not be the mother's house, but the house of a neighbor or relative. 

from the village of Podkamień, Roman Catholic parish of Podkamień, 1827.

from the village of Podkamień, Roman Catholic parish of Podkamień, 1829.

Illegitimate births are nothing new in this day and age...no matter how the media may try to point out current trends caused by the lack of church, disappearing parental guidance or excessive explicit television shows.  To illustrate, here's an example from one parish register of four illegitimate births in a row.

from the village of Ushnia, Greek Catholic parish of Bilyi Kamin, 1838.

Mistakes in the Records

Unfortunately, mistakes happen...and the same is true, of course, for genealogical records.  Usually only a thorough study of a complete set of records can uncover simple mistakes.  This creates a difficult situation for a researcher who may only have a single copy of one vital record available.  How can we tell for sure that what we have is the truth?  Unfortunately, we can't.  First of all, a parish register is a secondary source...it is evidence that is given to us by someone else who may or may not have been present at the time of the event.  Furthermore, the record could have been written several days after the event by the priest, assistant priest or clerk.  And in the case of the "bishop's copy", a full year might have passed and the person copying the information from the original record may have made a mistake.

We can not avoid such "honest" mistakes.  I'm not trying to scare anyone out of continuing his/her own genealogical research...but only shedding light on the possibility of human error.  We as researchers often only have one record to learn everything we know about a person.

In a complete study of one village, I was able to uncover a record showing the birth of a girl "Antonina" and her death as a boy with the name "Antoni".  So, without any other sources, such as village lists or a marriage record, I have no idea whether this person was a girl named Antonina or a boy named Antoni:

from the village of Usznia, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1853.

from the village of Usznia, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1854.

Another frequent mistake is when the priest references the grandparents and maiden names of mothers and grandmothers.  However, don't be quick to assume that a record is a mistake if it conflicts with your own data.  Keep an open mind to all possibilities.  In the case of different grandparents or maiden names, it could be that the person remarried and the priest wrote down the new surname.  Again, only a complete and thorough study of the parish register can provide the answers.

A possible method for verifying our data is referring both to the original record and the "bishop's copy".  (That is, if one is fortunate enough to have access to both versions.)

Missing names

By accident, the priest and/or scribe forgot to copy the names of the parents from the original record to this "Copia" <Latin>, also known as the "Bishop's Copy".

Triplets!

After many years of reviewing vital records, I finally came across a listing of triplets!  And amazingly enough, within 10 minutes of finding the first set of triplets, I actually discovered a SECOND set of triplets in the same parish!  (Unfortunately, birth records of the second set of triplets are not available at the time, so I only discovered the triplets through the death records.  See the last three entries from house number 14 in the second example below.)

from the village of Kniesioło, Roman Catholic parish of Podkamień, 1832.

from the village of Podkamień, Roman Catholic parish of Podkamień, 1842.

Repeating names for children

It was common for couples to name children after a previously deceased child.  Although this practice seems unthinkable today, do not rule out this possibility when studying records. 

In the examples below, the couple Szymon Kuzel and Rozalia Moscicka grieved over the death of their 4 year old son Kazimierz on April 22, then named their new baby Kazimierz, who was born on the following day, April 23.  Their first baby Kazimierz was buried on April 24.

from the village of Usznia, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1867

Stillborns

from the village and Roman Catholic parish of Biłka Szlachecka, May 1884.

from the village and Greek Catholic parish of Pidkamin (Rohatyn district), 1840.

from the village and Greek Catholic parish of Pidkamin, 1863.

Baptisms by Midwife

In the event of an emergency, the midwife (obstetrix in Latin) would baptize the infant "ex agua" ("from the waters").

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