legitimate and natural son at the same time?

[Orsi1996]

Hello everyone!

Reading the transcript of the birth record of Pietro Pagotto (Fontanelle, 28 apr. 1788), link below, i noted that he is described as "Pietro figlio legittimo, e naturale di Lorenzo di Bastian Pagotto e di Elisabetta di Bernardo Cancian".

https://www.antenati.san.beniculturali. ... 02/03YQeB4

What would be the explanation for a "legitimate and natural son" ad the same time?

Thanks!

[Italysearcher]

You are right at the beginning of civil record keeping. 1808.

This is my potential explanation.

Pietro's parent's would not have been married civilly so from the civil authorities point of view he is 'natural' BUT the parents were married in the church so from the church's point of view he is 'legitimate'.

It would be interesting to see if the wording is the same on the actual parish record and if the priest created this 'copy of the baptism' just for the marriage.

[saccolicious]

I wouldn't read too much into this. Every baptism record I have read where the parents were married before the child was born said the child was "legitimate and natural." This includes when the parents were married in 1809 (where a civil record exists) and the child was born in 1810. I feel like natural just means "biological."

[Italysearcher]

Some priests were meticulous and other's not. For your town 'naturale' probably did mean 'biological'.