Jane Monk gave birth to Edward Drury Monk on the 9th of November 1823. Edward was Edward Alfred Monk’s (b1862) father.
Edward Drury Monk was the ‘base son’ (illegitimate) of Jane Monk and it is almost impossible to know who the father was.
Edward was baptised on the 21st of December 1800 at St Mary’s, Lewisham, Kent (South London). The church record of the baptism has provokes several mysteries.
- Who was the father? Jane gives the child her own surname ‘Monk’ and hints at the father by adding ‘? Swift’. Was Swift the surname of the father or just a name concocted to add some respectability to her child?
- Jane adds a second name for her son Edward, it is to be ‘Drury’. This is an unusual name and inevitably raises the possibility that this is in some way connected to the father?
- The parish entry for the birth of Edward does not indicate where Jane might be living. Under the section for ‘quality, trade or profession’ it is written ‘Born in London’ – I assume could mean Jane’s birth or the father’s? Alternatively, taking the whole as a sentence; ‘ Born in London at nurse in Phoenix Vale Blackheath’ Perhaps Edward was born in London but was baptised at St. Mary’s because he (and Jane) were being looked after at Phoenix Vale, which was I assume a place where single mother’s were supported?
What circumstances surround Jane as she brings her illegitimate child into the world? It acts to make tracing the Monk line further back, very difficult.
Who was Mr Swift? real or imagined?
Why a second name of Drury? What is the significance of a second name that would be used again in the next generation of Monk?