1. Introduction
Through legitimation and adoption, children born out of wedlock could obtain the status of legitimate children. In the early modern period, legitimation was particularly common by way of subsequent marriage (Latin per matrimonium subsequens; see section 2, below) and legitimation by sovereign act (per rescriptum principis; see section 3, below). Both have their roots in Roman law, but had already been substantially influenced by canon law (Eccl…