Birth record with two mothers?

[MartynWilson99]

I've come across a strange issue with someone on my wife's family tree. I have found two separate baptism records this person, Anthony Bassall, both for the same date - 14 June 1807 - and both from the Church of St Philip & Jacob, Bristol. In each case, Anthony is shown as being "1yr & 11 months" and as the son of Anthony Bassall, blacksmith (deceased): I have the burial record for Anthony the father from August 1805.

What is odd is that on one of the baptism records, it says Anthony is the son of Anthony and Sarah Bassall, while on the other Anthony is given as the son of Anthony and Mary Bassall.

Anthony Snr did have a wife called Mary (née Jones) whom he married in 1780, and who died in 1790; I also have a marriage record for Anthony Snr and Sarah Thomas dated 1799. What I can't understand is how both of Anthony Snr's wives, one long deceased, came to be named as Anthony Jnr's mother. Any thoughts, or should I chalk that one up to 'another mystery in the family tree'?

 

[barbarajoh]

Think you just have to put it down as a clerical error. Whoever wrote it's mind was elsewhere at the time. If everything else is exact then the person has just made a mistake in transcribing. Is one a bishop's transcript and one the original perhaps?

Barbara

 

[MartynWilson99]

Thanks, Barbara. I think you are correct, although the record with Mary is the original Parish register, while that with Sarah (the second wife) is the Bishop's transcript. Maybe someone pointed the error out? Dunno!

Anyway, I won't worry about it too much - it will make yet another sidenote on the narrative that I'm going to write alongside the tree.

Regards
Martyn