Genealogy Chat

Could Sarah have been Frederick's young unmarried sister and Frederick and his wife took on her illegitimate child Augustus? Perhaps Fred's wife had just lost a baby? Augustus, never knowing this family secret gave Frederick's name as his father when he married?

Hi, The first thing I would do is check the GRO index to see if they did marry. Gwynne

Found great grandparents on 1901 with the 2 known elder siblings of grandfather. They were Augustus F C Balls and Johanna Balls (formerly George) I have Augustus`s birth certificate with full name Augustus Frederick Charles, mothers name Sarah Ann Balls and no father named. The marriage I assume is theirs gives his name as Charles Frederick, which is also on grandfathers birth certificate, and father named as Frederick Balls. Wife is named as Joanna George, but Annie on grandfathers birth certificate. I also have Joannas death certificate, which fits with known knowledge. The ages and dates all fit to within a year or 2. Was Frederick Augustus`s father, and not on his birth certificate. Did Sarah take his name without marrying him? Did they marry later? How do we go about proving anything, when we have no way of knowing what our ancestors were thinking at the time?

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