To make sure Simon Fraser’s child is viewed as legitimate, he needed to ensure there was a big baptism in Outlander: Blood of My Blood season 1, episode 7. It led to Baby Beauchamp getting two names, as Brian Fraser made sure to honor Julia’s wishes first.
Before the ceremony in the church, Brian took Julia to the holy grounds outside. That and holy iron are all that are needed in some cultures, and for Brian and Julia it was enough to know that Baby Beauchamp would be received to God with the name Julia chose.
William Henry Beauchamp could hint at a story to come in Outlander: Blood of My Blood
Julia’s name choice is William Henry. The middle name makes sense, especially since at this point she believes that Henry is somewhere in the 1920s with Claire, as we've previously discussed at Claire and Jamie. She wants to honor her husband, who she is feeling she may not get back to after all.
William is another name that makes sense. It was a popular name at the time. It’s also a name that is used over and over again in the world of Outlander.
In fact, this could hint at something that some fans have suggested. Is it possible that this baby ends up becoming Willie, Jamie’s brother? I’m going to quickly strike that theory down for a couple of reasons.
The first is that the timing of the birth doesn’t make sense. Willie was born in 1716, and this baby has been born in 1715. And plenty of people know about the bairn.
On top of that, we have the fact that Ellen has to be visibly pregnant before she and Brian come out of hiding when they do eventually run off. There’s no doubt—and there never has been—that Willie is Ellen and Brian’s child biologically.
What I do think is that Julia made an impression on both Brian and Ellen. I even wonder if she offers the help that she can for Brian and Ellen to run away together, leading to them naming their first child William in honor of Julia.
Simon Fraser of Lovat is not the Simon you’re thinking of
The second name is the one that Simon Fraser gives what he believes to be his son in Outlander: Blood of My Blood. Of course, it’s Simon Fraser. A lot of men named their first children after themselves, especially the legitimate ones as a way to further legitimize them.
So, it’s not that surprising to find out that he’s opted for the name Simon, as many Outlander fans guessed. Could this be the Simon that we meet in Outlander season 2?
This is highly unlikely. Let’s just start with the fact that Jamie’s uncle in Outlander season 2 is younger than him. This character is also based on a real Simon Fraser from history, who was born in 1726. So, this is more than 10 years after this baby.
There isn’t a younger Simon Fraser. Of course, Brian Fraser isn’t listed as a son of Simon, because it’s fiction, of course! There would have been plenty of illegitimate children out there without a major mention or even without being acknowledged by their fathers, so this won’t be that surprising.
With no other Simon in the story, it’s possible that Simon Fraser learns of Julia’s deceit and decides to get rid of anything that connects to him. It’s also possible that Julia is able to get away with her son to Henry now that she knows Henry is in the past, which leads to Simon feeling embarrassed enough to not want a reminder of him.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood airs on Fridays on STARZ.
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