Posthumous birth
Encyclopedia
A posthumous birth is a birth of a child after the death of a parent. A person born in these circumstances is called a posthumous child or a posthumously born person. Most instances of posthumous birth involve the birth of a child after the death of its father, but the term also is applied to infants delivered after the death of the mother, usually by caesarean section
.
, potentially affecting the child's citizenship
and legal rights, inheritance
, and order of succession
. Legal systems generally include special provisions regarding inheritance by posthumous children and the legal status of such children. For example, Massachusetts
law states that a posthumous child is treated as having been living at the death of the parent, meaning that the child receives the same share of the parent's estate as if the child had been born before the parent's death. United States
law holds that posthumous children of U.S. citizens who are born outside the United States have the same rights to citizenship that they would have had if the deceased U.S. citizen parent had been alive at the time of their birth.
A posthumous birth has special significance in the case of hereditary monarchies
where cognatic primogeniture applies. This principle allows a female to succeed to the throne only if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants. Before modern medical techniques, if the queen had been pregnant at the time of the king's death and if the living heir were a female, it would have been necessary to wait until the birth of the child to determine its sex, which would in turn have determined the succession. If such a situation were to arise today, it would still be necessary to determine the sex of the fetus. A male fetus would supplant any heiress and be born a monarch, although a regent
would have to be appointed until the child comes of age.
Posthumous conception by artificial insemination
or in vitro fertilization, whether done using sperm
or ova
stored before a parent's death or sperm retrieved from a man's corpse
, has created new legal issues. When a woman is inseminated with her deceased husband's sperm, laws that establish that a sperm donor is not the legal father of the child born as a result of artificial insemination have had the effect of excluding the deceased husband from fatherhood and making the child legally fatherless. In the United Kingdom
before 2000, birth records of children conceived using a dead man's sperm had to identify the infants as fatherless, but in 2000 the government announced that the law would be changed to allow the deceased father's name to be listed on the birth certificate
. In 1986 a New South Wales
legal reform commission recommended that the law should recognize the deceased husband as the father of a child born from post-mortem artificial insemination, provided that the woman is his widow and unmarried at the time of birth, but the child should have inheritance rights to the father's estate only if the father left a will
that included specific provisions for the child. In 2001, the Massachusetts Supreme Court was asked to consider whether the father's name should appear on the birth record for a child conceived through artificial insemination after her father's death, as well as whether that child was eligible for U.S. Social Security benefits. The court ruled in January 2002 that a child could be the legal heir of a dead parent if there was a genetic relationship and the deceased parent had both agreed to the posthumous conception and committed to support the child.
In the Middle Ages, it was traditional for posthumous children born in England
to be given a matronymic
surname instead of a patronymic one. This may in part explain why matronyms are more common in England than in other parts of Europe.
was about a boy whose father died before he was born.
The Charles Dickens
character David Copperfield
was a posthumous child, whose father had died three months before he was born.
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
.
Legal implications of posthumous birth
Posthumous birth has special implications in lawLaw
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, potentially affecting the child's citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
and legal rights, inheritance
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
, and order of succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
. Legal systems generally include special provisions regarding inheritance by posthumous children and the legal status of such children. For example, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
law states that a posthumous child is treated as having been living at the death of the parent, meaning that the child receives the same share of the parent's estate as if the child had been born before the parent's death. United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
law holds that posthumous children of U.S. citizens who are born outside the United States have the same rights to citizenship that they would have had if the deceased U.S. citizen parent had been alive at the time of their birth.
A posthumous birth has special significance in the case of hereditary monarchies
Hereditary monarchy
A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family...
where cognatic primogeniture applies. This principle allows a female to succeed to the throne only if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants. Before modern medical techniques, if the queen had been pregnant at the time of the king's death and if the living heir were a female, it would have been necessary to wait until the birth of the child to determine its sex, which would in turn have determined the succession. If such a situation were to arise today, it would still be necessary to determine the sex of the fetus. A male fetus would supplant any heiress and be born a monarch, although a regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
would have to be appointed until the child comes of age.
Posthumous conception by artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
or in vitro fertilization, whether done using sperm
Sperm
The term sperm is derived from the Greek word sperma and refers to the male reproductive cells. In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell...
or ova
Ovum
An ovum is a haploid female reproductive cell or gamete. Both animals and embryophytes have ova. The term ovule is used for the young ovum of an animal, as well as the plant structure that carries the female gametophyte and egg cell and develops into a seed after fertilization...
stored before a parent's death or sperm retrieved from a man's corpse
Posthumous sperm retrieval
Posthumous sperm retrieval is a procedure in which spermatozoa are extracted from a man after he has been pronounced legally brain dead. There has been significant debate over the ethicality and legality of the procedure, and on the legal rights of the child and surviving parent if the gametes are...
, has created new legal issues. When a woman is inseminated with her deceased husband's sperm, laws that establish that a sperm donor is not the legal father of the child born as a result of artificial insemination have had the effect of excluding the deceased husband from fatherhood and making the child legally fatherless. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
before 2000, birth records of children conceived using a dead man's sperm had to identify the infants as fatherless, but in 2000 the government announced that the law would be changed to allow the deceased father's name to be listed on the birth certificate
Birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
. In 1986 a New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
legal reform commission recommended that the law should recognize the deceased husband as the father of a child born from post-mortem artificial insemination, provided that the woman is his widow and unmarried at the time of birth, but the child should have inheritance rights to the father's estate only if the father left a will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
that included specific provisions for the child. In 2001, the Massachusetts Supreme Court was asked to consider whether the father's name should appear on the birth record for a child conceived through artificial insemination after her father's death, as well as whether that child was eligible for U.S. Social Security benefits. The court ruled in January 2002 that a child could be the legal heir of a dead parent if there was a genetic relationship and the deceased parent had both agreed to the posthumous conception and committed to support the child.
In the Middle Ages, it was traditional for posthumous children born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to be given a matronymic
Matronymic
A matronymic is a personal name based on the name of one's mother, grandmother, or any female ancestor. It is the female equivalent of a patronymic. In patriarchal societies, matronymic surnames are far less common than patronyms. In the past, matronymic last names were often given to children of...
surname instead of a patronymic one. This may in part explain why matronyms are more common in England than in other parts of Europe.
Royalty and nobility
- Shapur IIShapur IIShapur II the Great was the ninth King of the Persian Sassanid Empire from 309 to 379 and son of Hormizd II. During his long reign, the Sassanid Empire saw its first golden era since the reign of Shapur I...
of the Sassanid EmpireSassanid EmpireThe Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
- born 309, after the death of his father Hormizd IIHormizd IIHormizd II, was the eighth Persian king of the Sassanid Empire, and reigned for seven years and five months, from 302 to 309. He was the son of Narseh .Almost nothing is known of his reign...
; he is believed to be the only monarch in history who was crowned in utero - Chlothar II, King of the Franks — born 584; his father Chilperic IChilperic IChilperic I was the king of Neustria from 561 to his death. He was one of the sons of the Frankish king Clotaire I and Queen Aregund....
had died earlier the same year - Charles III of France "The Simple"Charles the SimpleCharles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23...
- born September 879, five months after the death of his father Louis the StammererLouis the StammererLouis the Stammerer was the King of Aquitaine and later King of West Francia. He was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans. He succeeded his younger brother in Aquitaine in 866 and his father in West Francia in 877, though he was never crowned Emperor... - Lothair III, Holy Roman EmperorLothair III, Holy Roman EmperorLothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
— born June 1075, shortly after the death of his father Gebhard of Supplinburg - King Baldwin V of JerusalemBaldwin V of JerusalemBaldwin V of Jerusalem was the son of Sibylla of Jerusalem and her first husband, William of Montferrat...
— born 1177, a few months after the death of his father William of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and AscalonWilliam of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and AscalonWilliam of Montferrat , also called William Longsword , was the Count of Jaffa and Ascalon, the eldest son of William V, Marquess of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg... - Arthur I, Duke of BrittanyArthur I, Duke of BrittanyArthur I was Duke of Brittany between 1194 and 1202. He was the posthumous son of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Constance, Duchess of Brittany...
— born 29 March 1187, seven months after the death of his father Geoffrey II, Duke of BrittanyGeoffrey II, Duke of BrittanyGeoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond was Duke of Brittany between 1181 and 1186, through his marriage with the heiress Constance. Geoffrey was the fourth son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine.-Family:He was a younger maternal half-brother of Marie de...
(a son of King Henry II of EnglandHenry II of EnglandHenry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
) - Theobald I of NavarreTheobald I of NavarreTheobald I , called the Troubadour, the Chansonnier, and the Posthumous, was Count of Champagne from birth and King of Navarre from 1234...
, King of Navarre 1234-53 - born 30 May 1201, after his father's death - King John I of FranceJohn I of FranceJohn I , called the Posthumous, was King of France and Navarre, and Count of Champagne, as the son and successor of Louis the Headstrong, for the five days he lived...
— born 15 November 1316, five months after the death of King Louis XLouis X of FranceLouis X of France, , called the Quarreler, the Headstrong, or the Stubborn was the King of Navarre from 1305 and King of France from 1314 until his death...
. He lived for only six days, but was a king for his entire short life. He is sometimes known as "John the Posthumous". - William of Bavaria-MunichWilliam of Bavaria-MunichWilliam of Bavaria-Munich was a German nobleman. He was the son of Margaret of Cleves and her first husband William III, Duke of Bavaria. He was born after his father’s death and died in infancy, being buried in the church of the Carmelites in Straubing...
- born and died 1435, German noble - Ladislaus the Posthumous, King of Bohemia, Hungary and Croatia, and Duke of Austria — born 22 February 1440, four months after the death of his father King Albert II of GermanyAlbert II of GermanyAlbert the Magnanimous KG was King of Hungary from 1438 until his death. He was also King of Bohemia, elected King of Germany as Albert II, duke of Luxembourg and, as Albert V, archduke of Austria from 1404.-Biography:Albert was born in Vienna as the son of Albert IV, Duke of Austria, and Johanna...
- King Henry VII of EnglandHenry VII of EnglandHenry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
— born 28 January 1457, two months after the death of his father Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of RichmondEdmund Tudor, 1st Earl of RichmondEdmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond , also known as Edmund of Hadham , was the father of King Henry VII of England and a member of the Tudor family of Penmynydd, North Wales.-Birth and early life:...
. - Alexander Stewart, Duke of RossAlexander Stewart, Duke of RossAlexander Stewart, Duke of Ross was the fourth and last son of King James IV of Scotland and his queen Margaret Tudor....
, born April 1514; his father had died at the Battle of Flodden, September 1513; he himself died at the age of only 20 months, but during his short life he was heir presumptive to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland. - King Sebastian of PortugalSebastian of PortugalSebastian "the Desired" was the 16th king of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of Prince John of Portugal and his wife, Joan of Spain...
— born 20 January 1554, eighteen days after the death of his father John Manuel, Prince of Portugal. After his birth, Sebastian immediately became Crown PrincePrinces of PortugalThe title of Prince of Portugal was created by Edward of Portugal, and was attributed only to the first in line to the throne...
. - Frederick William II, Duke of Saxe-AltenburgFrederick William II, Duke of Saxe-AltenburgFrederick Wilhelm II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg , was a duke of Saxe-Altenburg.He was the youngest son of Frederick Wilhelm I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Anna Maria of the Palatinate-Neuburg, his second wife...
- born 12 February 1603, seven months after the death of his father - King William III of England and IrelandWilliam III of EnglandWilliam III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, aka William II of Scotland — born 14 November 1650, eight days after the death of his father William II, Prince of OrangeWilliam II, Prince of OrangeWilliam II, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 14 March 1647 until his death three years later.-Biography:...
. He was born Prince of OrangePrince of OrangePrince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France. In French it is la Principauté d'Orange.... - William August, Duke of Saxe-EisenachWilliam August, Duke of Saxe-EisenachWilhelm August, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach was a duke of Saxe-Eisenach.He was born at Eisenach, the youngest and only surviving son of Adolf Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach and Marie Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel....
- born 30 November 1668, eight days after his father's death - William IV, Prince of OrangeWilliam IV, Prince of OrangeWilliam IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
— born 1 September 1711, six weeks after the death of his father John William Friso, Prince of Orange. - Queen Caroline Mathilde of Denmark, consort of King Christian VII of DenmarkChristian VII of DenmarkChristian VII was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his death. He was the son of Danish King Frederick V and his first consort Louisa, daughter of King George II of Great Britain....
— born 11 July 1751, five months after the death of her father Frederick, Prince of WalesFrederick, Prince of WalesFrederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria... - Henry, Count of Chambord, French princeFils de FranceFils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
and pretender to the throneLegitimistsLegitimists are royalists in France who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession of the descendants of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848, whose kings were members of the junior...
— born 29 September 1820, seven months after the death of his father Charles Ferdinand, duc de Berry - Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the fourth and last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, two duchies in Germany , and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1900 until his death in 1954...
— born 19 July 1884, four months after the death of his father Prince Leopold, Duke of AlbanyPrince Leopold, Duke of AlbanyThe Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was the eighth child and fourth son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow...
(a son of Queen VictoriaVictoria of the United KingdomVictoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
) - King Alfonso XIII of SpainAlfonso XIII of SpainAlfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
— born 17 May 1886, six months after the death of his father King Alfonso XIIAlfonso XII of SpainAlfonso XII was king of Spain, reigning from 1874 to 1885, after a coup d'état restored the monarchy and ended the ephemeral First Spanish Republic.-Early life and paternity:Alfonso was the son of Queen Isabella II of Spain, and...
. - Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia, consort of King Peter II of YugoslaviaPeter II of YugoslaviaPeter II, also known as Peter II Karađorđević , was the third and last King of Yugoslavia...
— born 25 March 1921, five months after the death of her father King Alexander of Greece - Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (1922–1993)Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (1922–1993)Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria was a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. She was the youngest daughter of Charles I, the last Emperor of Austria, and his wife Zita of Bourbon-Parma.-Family and early life:...
, born 1922, after her father’s death
Others
- The Greek god AsclepiusAsclepiusAsclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia , Iaso , Aceso , Aglæa/Ægle , and Panacea...
is said to have been delivered by caesarean sectionCaesarean sectionA Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
after his mother was killed on Mount OlympusMount OlympusMount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
. - Prophet MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, the last prophet who introduced IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
— born c. 570, six months after his father died - St Peter Nolasco, Catalan Catholic saint born in 1189, is believed to have been delivered from his mother's womb after she died during childbirthChildbirthChildbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
. - Pope Clement VIIPope Clement VIIClement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
— born 26 May 1478, one month after his father, Giuliano di Piero de' MediciGiuliano di Piero de' MediciGiuliano de' Medici was the second son of Piero de' Medici and Lucrezia Tornabuoni. As co-ruler of Florence, with his brother Lorenzo the Magnificent, he complemented his brother's image as the "patron of the arts" with his own image as the handsome, sporting, "golden boy."-Death:As the opening...
, was assassinated in the Pazzi Conspiracy - Francoise d'Orléans-LonguevilleFrançoise d'Orléans-LonguevilleFrançoise d'Orléans was the second wife of Louis I de Bourbon, prince de Condé, a "Prince du Sang" and leader of the Huguenots during the French Wars of Religion.- Family:...
, born 1548, six months after her father’s death - St Joseph of CupertinoJoseph of CupertinoSaint Joseph of Cupertino, O.F.M. Conv., was an Italian Franciscan friar who is honored as a mystic and a saint. He was said to have been remarkably unclever, but prone to miraculous levitation and intense ecstatic visions that left him gaping...
, Italian saint — born 17 June 1603 - Sir Isaac NewtonIsaac NewtonSir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
, English scientist — born 4 January 1643, three months after his father's death - Jonathan SwiftJonathan SwiftJonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
, Irish writer — born 30 November 1667, seven months after his father died - Edward Ward, 9th Baron DudleyEdward Ward, 9th Baron DudleyEdward Ward, 9th Baron Dudley and 4th Baron Ward was the only son of Edward Ward, 8th Baron Dudley and 4th Baron Ward and his wife Diana daughter and heiress of Thomas Howard of Ashtead, Surrey...
, born 1704, after his father’s death - Georg Wilhelm RichmannGeorg Wilhelm RichmannGeorg Wilhelm Richmann was a German physicist who lived in Russia....
, German physicist - born 22 July 1711, after his father's death - Robert Petre, 8th Baron Petre, British peer and horticulturist - born 3 June 1713, three months after his father's death
- John MortonJohn Morton (politician)John Morton was a farmer, surveyor, and jurist from the Province of Pennsylvania. As a delegate to the Continental Congress during the American Revolution, he provided the swing vote that allowed Pennsylvania to vote in favor of the United States Declaration of Independence...
, U.S. politician - born 1725, after his father's death - Sir Brook Bridges, 3rd BaronetSir Brook Bridges, 3rd BaronetSir Brook William Bridges, 3rd Baronet was a British baronet and Whig politician.Born posthumously at Whitehall, he was the only son of Sir Brook Bridges, 2nd Baronet and his wife Anne Palmer, daughter of Sir Thomas Palmer, 4th Baronet, of Wingham. With his birth he succeeded his father as baronet...
, born 1733, after his father’s death - Benedict Joseph FlagetBenedict Joseph FlagetBenedict Joseph Flaget was a U.S. bishop. He served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown between 1808 and 1839, then as bishop of the Diocese of Louisville between 1839 and 1850 when the See was transferred to Louisville in 1839.-Education and Call to Ministry:At...
, U.S. bishop - born 7 November 1763, after his father's death - Andrew JacksonAndrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, U.S. president — born 15 March 1767, three weeks after the death of his father Andrew Jackson, Sr. in a lumber accident - TenskwatawaTenskwatawaTenskwatawa, was a Native American religious and political leader of the Shawnee tribe, known as The Prophet or the Shawnee Prophet. He was the brother of Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee...
, Native American religious leader - born 1775, after his father's death - Arthur MacArthur, Sr., Scottish born lawyer, Governor of Wisconsin and the grandfather of General Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
- born 26 January 1815, seven days after his father's death. - Rutherford B. HayesRutherford B. HayesRutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
, 19th President of the United States - born 1822, 10 weeks after his father died. - Anna LeonowensAnna LeonowensAnna Leonowens was an English travel writer, educator, and social activist. She worked in Siam from 1862 to 1868, where she taught the wives and children of Mongkut, king of Siam. She also co-founded the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design...
, British teacher and heroine of The King and IThe King and IThe King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
- born 26 November 1831, after her father's death - Horace Tabberer BrownHorace Tabberer BrownHorace Tabberer Brown was a British chemist. He was a born after the death of his biological father so his stepfather was the only father he knew. The stepfather was a banker and amateur naturalist which lead to Brown's interest in science, which began around age 12...
, British chemist - born 1848, after his biological father's death - Samuel AlexanderSamuel AlexanderSamuel Alexander OM was an Australian-born British philosopher. He was the first Jewish fellow of an Oxbridge college.-Early life:...
, Australian-born philosopher - born 1859, shortly after his father's death - George Washington CarverGeorge Washington CarverGeorge Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864....
, U.S. botanical researcher and educator — born c. 1864 after his father had been killed - Breaker MorantBreaker MorantHarry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant was an Anglo-Australian drover, horseman, poet, soldier and convicted war criminal whose skill with horses earned him the nickname "The Breaker"...
, Australian soldier and folk hero — born December 1864 - Frank AnsteyFrank AnsteyFrank Anstey , Australian politician, served 38 years as a Labor member of the Victorian and Commonwealth parliaments....
, Australian politician - born 18 August 1865, five months after his father's death - Carl SchurichtCarl SchurichtCarl Adolph Schuricht was a German conductor.Schuricht was born in Danzig , German Empire; his father's family had been respected organ-builders. His mother, Amanda Wusinowska, a widow soon after her marriage , brought up her son alone...
, German conductor - born 3 July 1880, three weeks after his father drowned while trying to save a friend in distress - Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, US admiral - born 24 February 1885, after his father's death
- Clara SipprellClara SipprellClara Sipprell was a Canadian-born, early 20th century photographer who lived most of her life in the United States. She was well-known for her pictorial landscapes and for portraits of many famous actors, artists, writers and scientists....
, Canadian photographer - born 31 October 1885, after her father's death - Mabel MercerMabel MercerMabel Mercer was an English-born cabaret singer who performed in the United States, Britain, and Europe with the greats in jazz and cabaret. She was a featured performer at Chez Bricktop in Paris, owned by the hostess Bricktop, and performed in such clubs as Le Ruban Bleu, Tony's, the RSVP, the...
, UK-U.S. cabaret singer — born 3 February 1900 - Stanley KunitzStanley KunitzStanley Jasspon Kunitz was an American poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress twice, first in 1974 and then again in 2000.-Biography:...
, Lithuanian-U.S. poet — born 29 July 1905, six weeks after his father's death by suicide - Xiao QianXiao QianXiao Qian , alias Nuoping was a famous essayist, editor, journalist and translator from China. His life spanned the country before and after the establishment of the People's Republic of China.-Early years:Xiao was born on 27 January 1910 in Beijing, China...
, Chinese essayist - born 27 January 1910, after his father's death - John Jacob Astor VIJohn Jacob Astor VIJohn Jacob Astor VI , known familiarly as "Jakey", was a member of the Astor family. He was born four months after his father, John Jacob Astor IV, died in the sinking of RMS Titanic.-Early life:...
, born 14 August 1912, four months after his father's death on the RMS Titanic - Red SkeltonRed SkeltonRichard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...
, U.S. actor and comedian — born 18 July 1913, shortly after the death of his father. - Alfred ShaughnessyAlfred ShaughnessyAlfred James Shaughnessy , sometimes known as Freddy Shaughnessy, was an English scriptwriter and producer best known for being the script editor of Upstairs, Downstairs.-Early life:...
, English writer and television producer - born 19 May 1916, two months after his namesake father was killed in the First World WarWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. - Aleksandr SolzhenitsynAleksandr SolzhenitsynAleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was aRussian and Soviet novelist, dramatist, and historian. Through his often-suppressed writings, he helped to raise global awareness of the Gulag, the Soviet Union's forced labor camp system – particularly in The Gulag Archipelago and One Day in the Life of...
, Russian novelist — born 11 December 1918; his father was killed in a hunting accident shortly after his wife became pregnant - Stephen WurmStephen WurmStephen Adolphe Wurm was a Hungarian-born Australian linguist.- Biography :Wurm was born in Budapest, the second child to the German-speaking Adolphe Wurm and Hungarian-speaking Anna Novroczky, and was christened Istvan Adolphe Wurm...
, Hungarian-Australian linguist - born 19 August 1922, after his father's death. - Anthony EarnshawAnthony EarnshawAnthony Earnshaw was an English anarchist, artist, author, and illustrator.Earnshaw was born in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. His father, a watchmaker and jeweller, died before he was born. His mother ran the family shop until bankruptcy in 1930, when they moved first to Redcar and then to Leeds...
, English anarchist - born 9 October 1924, after his father's death - Felipe RodríguezFelipe RodríguezLuis Felipe Rodriguez, better known as Felipe "La Voz" Rodríguez, born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, was a singer of boleros. He is regarded as the most popular Puerto Rican male singer of the 1950s based on record sales and live audience records...
, Puerto Rican singer - born 8 May 1926, after his father's death - Earl HollimanEarl Holliman-Early life:Earl Holliman was born at Delhi in Richland Parish of northeastern Louisiana. Holliman’s biological father died before he was born, and his biological mother, living in poverty with several other children, gave him up for adoption at birth...
, U.S. actor - born 11 September 1928, after his biological father's death - Thomas SowellThomas SowellThomas Sowell is an American economist, social theorist, political philosopher, and author. A National Humanities Medal winner, he advocates laissez-faire economics and writes from a libertarian perspective...
, U.S. economist - born 30 June 1930, after his father's death - Lee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
, assassin of U.S. President John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
- born 18 October 1939, two months after his father's death - Sylvester McCoySylvester McCoySylvester McCoy is a Scottish actor. As a comic act and busker he appeared regularly on stage and on BBC Children's television in the 1970s and 80s, but is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to...
, Scottish actor (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) - born 20 August 1943, one month after his father Percy Kent-Smith was killed in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on 18 July 1943. - Sir Ranulph FiennesRanulph FiennesSir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE , better known as Ranulph Fiennes, is a British adventurer and holder of several endurance records. He is also a prolific writer. Fiennes served in the British Army for eight years including a period on counter-insurgency service while...
, 3rd Bt, British explorer and adventurer - born 7 March 1944, shortly after the death of his father the 2nd Baronet, who was killed in action at the Battle of Monte CassinoBattle of Monte CassinoThe Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans... - Frederica von StadeFrederica von StadeFrederica von Stade is an American mezzo-soprano. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, she acquired the nickname "Flicka" in her childhood. Von Stade attended the Mannes College of Music in New York City. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1970 and in 1971 appeared as Cherubino in The...
, U.S. operatic soprano - born 1 June 1945, two months after her father was killed in World War II - Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, U.S. president — born 19 August 1946, three months after his father William Jefferson Blythe, Jr.William Jefferson Blythe, Jr.William Jefferson "Bill" Blythe, Jr. was an Arkansas salesman of heavy equipment and the biological father of former U.S. President Bill Clinton.-Personal life:...
drowned following a motor accident - Jett WilliamsJett WilliamsJett Williams is an American country music performer.Jett is the daughter of country music icon Hank Williams, Sr. and Bobbie Jett, whose brief relationship with Hank Williams occurred between his two marriages. She is a posthumous child; her birth in Montgomery, Alabama occurred five days after...
, U.S. singer — born 6 January 1953, five days after the death of her father, legendary country singer Hank Williams - Tyrone Power, Jr., U.S. actor — born 22 January 1959, three months after the death of his father Tyrone PowerTyrone PowerTyrone Edmund Power, Jr. , usually credited as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as Ty Power, was an American film and stage actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s to the 1950s, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads such as in The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand, The Black Swan,...
- Antwone FisherAntwone FisherAntwone Quenton Fisher is an American director, screenwriter, author and film producer. His 2001 autobiographical book Finding Fish is a New York Times Best Seller...
, U.S. author, screenwriter, and film producer — born 3 August 1959 - Rory KennedyRory KennedyRory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy is an American documentary filmmaker and producer. She is the youngest of the eleven children of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and his wife Ethel .-Early life and education:...
, U.S. documentary film maker — born 12 December 1968, six months after the assassination of her father Robert F. KennedyRobert F. KennedyRobert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
Other
The Irish Republican song The Broad Black BrimmerThe Broad Black Brimmer
The Broad Black Brimmer is an Irish Republican folk song written by Noel Nagle of the Wolfe Tones.The song narrates the story of a boy whose father died before he was born, fighting in the Irish Republican Army. The narrator is asked by his mother to try on his father's old uniform and as he does...
was about a boy whose father died before he was born.
The Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
character David Copperfield
David Copperfield (character)
David Copperfield is the character after which the 1850 Charles Dickens novel, David Copperfield, was named. The character is widely thought to be based on Dickens himself, using many elements of his own childhood.-Origin:...
was a posthumous child, whose father had died three months before he was born.
External links
- Posthumous Child (i.e., Born After Father's Death), Adoption.com