Shared Photo: George Augustus Sanno's Birth Recorded - In Court!

Question

This is a most unusual birth record. A male child was born in April of 1835, and in July of that year, his mother charged the father with fornication and bastardy. They appeared in court in August of 1835.

In March of 1836, both parents had him baptized in the Lutheran Church in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I have not yet found any record of marriage.

Answer 1

I’ve got a few of these up the tree line. In the South, especially in the backcountry during the colonial era, this was quite common. Lots of church records out there censuring folks for fornication, taking up arms (Quakers) among other “deeds of misbehavior.”