“1682, April 11. Baptized Angel, d. of Sir Nicholas Butler, Knt.”—St. Helen, Bishopgate.
“Weymouth, March 20, 1635. Embarked for New England: Angell Holland, aged 21 years.”—Hotten’s “Emigrants,” p. 285.
In this case we may presume the son, and not the father, had turned Puritan.
A curious custom, which terminated soon after Protestantism was established in England, gave rise to several names which read oddly enough to modern eyes. These were titles like Vitalis or Creature—names applicable to either sex. Mr. Maskell, without furnishing instances, says Creature occurs in the registers of All-Hallows, Barking (“Hist. All-Hallows,” p. 62). In the vestry-books of Staplehurst, Kent, are registered:
“1 Edward VI. Apryle xxvii., there were borne ii. childre of Alex’nder Beeryl: the one christened at home, and so deceased, called Creature; the other christened at church, called John.”—Burns, “History of Parish Registers,” p. 81.
“1550, Nov. 5. Buried Creature, daughter of Agnes Mathews, syngle woman, the seconde childe.
“1579, July 19. Married John Haffynden and Creature Cheseman, yong folke.”—Staplehurst, Kent.
One instance of Vitalis may be given:
“Vitalis, son of Richard Engaine, and Sara his wife, released his manor of Dagworth in 1217 to Margery de Cressi.”—Blomefield’s “Norfolk,” vi. 382, 383.
These are not Puritan names. The dates are against the theory. They belong to a pre-Reformation practice, being names given to quick children before birth, in cases when it was feared, from the condition of the mother, they might not be delivered alive. Being christened before the sex could be known, it was necessary to affix a neutral name, and Vitalis or Creature answered the purpose. The old Romish rubric ran thus: