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Quick query, easily answered, I think.

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Lyho47

Lyho47 Report 10 Mar 2012 17:11

I've recently received a marriage certificate for my Great Grandparents as I wanted to discover the name of my Great Grandmothers father but it's left blank. Does this simply mean that she was illegitimate?

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 10 Mar 2012 17:14

Probably. Over 99% I would say. But the only 100% sure thing is she didn't know his name! I guess you need her birth cert really.
Jan

Researching:
Myatt, Hanks, Eccleston, Powell, Clungunford, Birmingham

Lyho47

Lyho47 Report 10 Mar 2012 17:20

Thank you Jan. I was pretty sure that was the case.

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 11 Mar 2012 13:54

This may be the end of the line, going back, but as has been said, it may not be the end of investigations, there might be more to find.

I have a 1902 marriage certificate where the bride's father is shown as unknown.
Admittedly, her surname at marriage was not the same as the family she was with in 1891, where she was shown as ..daughter.. and with the family surname. She used that family name when she was away in service in 1901, too.
Her birth and marriage were registered with the same name which was her mother's surname. Parents were not married, so at birth the father could not be named in the appropriate column, unless they went together ( we think the mum probably died in childbirth)
However, big bonus was that the child's father registered the birth and in the informant column it shows his name and that he was the father.

Dig a bit deeper. There may yet be information to be found.!

Gwyn

Lyho47

Lyho47 Report 11 Mar 2012 16:27

Dear Piglets Pal and Gwyn,

Thank you very much for taking the time to explain the possible complexities of this situation - and I thought it was so simple! Seems like I've got a lot more digging to do.

Regards
Lynn