Peter Beauclerk-Dewar and Roger Powell are the authors of...
ROYAL BASTARDS, which is a book to learn from. Not just because it gives bio-profiles of the circumstances of birth and royal and noble connections of a whole lot of illegitimate offspring of:
THE TUDORS
Edward IV (1442-1483)
Richard III (1452-1485)
Henry VIII (1491-1547) (yep!)
THE STUARTS
Charles II (1630-1714)
James II (1633-1701)
Charles Stuart (1720-1788)
THE HANOVERIANS
George I (1660-1727)
George II (1683- 1760)
as well as
Frederick, Prince of Wales (a Son of George)
George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV)
William, Duke of Clarence (Later King Willian IV)
as well as some Windsors…
But because we learn that the surname Fitz teamed with the father's given name was that of so many.
Because we learn that some of these children -and their mothers who were "mistresses," were treated well, but while other's were accepted and elevated their mothers were trashed and left to die in poverty and obscurity.
We learn that COATS OF ARMS/ SHEILDS were designed for some of them and by reading the code of the coat of arms there are clues of illegitimacy.
We learn that there was punishment for the parents of illegitimate children, and as a result the following happened (and this will challenge your DNA genealogy) people gossiped (to heal or destroy reputations), they lied (a mother could claim a better or wealthier man was the real father), that naming the child after a famous person - a noble or King - could indicate that he was actually the father - and that infanticide was not out of the question. The children were sometimes supported by the father, but they had no inheritance rights.
Sadly, women were far worse off when it came to punishment then the men, as if it were all their fault. (Sound familiar?) the Poor Laws of 1662 and the Vagrant Act of 1575-6 were harsh. What was being upheld was the economy, the fact that in marriage it was understood what man would be supporting what women and what children. It wasn't until the Tudors and the Stuarts that the illegitimate children got titles of nobility and entered into the peerage.
As I was reading this book I was thinking that in my research of small towns I sometimes found that illegitimate children, as indicated in church records, were often given exotic names as if a given name might compensate for a maiden name.
I'm going to post an EXCERPT from this book soon. I found that the APPENDIX and definition of bastardy by Cecil Humphery-Smith - who has a long list of honoraria after his name was the best part! I'll post excerpts from that soon!
C 2018 Book Review by Ancestry Worship Genealogy
