Genealogy Chat

Maggy. I think it is a good idea to add step families. It makes it easier to understand family connections especially if you pass on your research to later generations. Then again... Why make it easy for them? Half the fun is trying to find family connections. Regards. Melanie :-)

My great grandfather William Gerrard was illegitimate. His birth certificate has no father's name and he was registered with his mother's surname. When I got his marriage certificate it had his father's name as Henry Gerrard, occupation Packer. His mother's husband, who she married about 18 months after William was born was Henry Moore and his occupation was Packer in the Cotton Industry. I can't be sure whether or not he really was his father or whether William just used the name on the marriage certificate to save himself any embarrassment. Hope this helps. Melanie

Hi Tony, I have managed to find my grandads step-father and family, so can console myself a bit with that one! Does anyone know, should step families really be entered into family trees? Not really sure about that one! Maggy

Maggy I'm sorry to hear that- but keep at it, you never know what will turn up. I'm feeling more upbeat today after speaking to the FRO. I think I'll be paying them a visit in the very near future for a trawl! Never done that before so it will be a real adventure! Tony.

My grandad was registered in his mothers name, no fathers name on his birth or marriage certificates. I am beginning to think that he never knew who his father was. The only clue that I have is that both him and his brothers middle name was Stevenson, which was probably their fathers surname. I think that I may have come to a dead end on that one! Maggy, West Yorkshire

Tracy, Thanks for that! My family are hard enough to find without the added complication of maiden names as middle names! But thanks for the info anyway I suppose it's always a possibility! Jeanette. Rather you than me trying to work that lot out! I think I'll stick with Lynda's idea about calling social services! It sounds alot easier to me! Thanks! Tony

While looking for an ancestor of mine, Frederick Lock born Ridge, Herts c.1838 I went on the Hugh Wallis site and it threw up a William Frederick Nicholl Lock, Mother Hannah Lock, Father Nicholl (no first name). Working on the assumption that Frederick and William Frederick are the same person, did she do this out of spite so everyone knew who the father was? Or did he have to be present for Nicholl to be included. Did Frederick drop the William and Nicholl to hide the fact that he was illegitemate? All these questions! I'm still looking for Fredericks marriage certificate to confirm who his father was. Jeanette

My Grandad was born in 1921 to an unmarried mother and she gave him her surname as a middle name and made up a surname for him. So you might have some luck there? Good luck! Tracy

Thank you Kathleen and Margaret. I'm taking all this on board. Hopefully I'll at least able to confirm when they were born (it'd be a good start!) and from there......! Who knows?! Tony

I have a birth certificate dated 1889 (Scotland) where it states Illigitimate. Both parents were present to register the birth and the child was given the fathers surname. I think they both had to be present to be able to do this. Hope that helps. Regards Margaret

Don't know if it was the same in the 1940's but the father's name can be put on if he attends at the registration. It can also be added later providing he attends in person and it is within the first 12 months. I believe that may well have been so back in 1940's as my friend's baby was registered in the father's name although they were not married at the time. Kathleen

Well! Debbie, thanks for the info on Clara site. What a wealth of info! Paul, we haven't tried church records yet and wouldn't know where to start with this elusive nomadic family of mine! Carol, Glad to hear we're not alone with complicated certificates. It's strange though as I seem to recall seeing somewhere that babies of unmarried mothers were normally given the mothers name even if the father was still around - maybe that was church records? Mind you the people I'm looking for were born in the late 1940's so maybe things had changed by then. Think I'll take the bull by the horns and post a message on the trying to find board - unless anyone has another suggestion! I'm really grateful for all your advice! Tony and Eleanor

My father in law has his mothers name, and there is no father shown on his birth certificate. It is also blank on his marriage certificate.

Tony and Eleanor In some cases you may find an entry in the church records where the father is "alleged" to be. In others there is no father's name, and the baptism may be noted as "private". It depends on the area, I suppose. Diane, I have done the same. Felt all proud at posting a message, checked it on the board, only to find that no-one knows what the !"£" you have posted. Paul

Thanks Jan, Debbie and Carol I'm off for a search now, will let you know! Tony and Eleanor

Tony and Eleanor The index shows only the name a child was registered as, so I can`t see a way of finding it from another name. Later indices include mothers maiden name. I am not sure, but I think that started around the 1960s.

Hi Anthony, If the mother was unmarried when the child was born, the norm is for the child to registered in the mothers' maiden name, the fathers name usually left blank. There are all sorts of 'ifs & buts' to this. Another plug for Barbara Dixon's site. Have a look at this website- remove the brackets when typing it in then click on the GRO Certs link. Great site-very useful info for all certs. http://home(.)clara(.)net/dixons/ Debbie

Indeed Diane! Oh the shame!!! Hope we don't do that again! Eleanor and Tony

I think that you can only find a child if you know the child's registered surname. Unless they have an unusual christian name, in which case you can do a search just for that - particularly on the 1891, where you can specify county/district of birth. Good luck with your searches. Jan.

Hi,Tony and Eleanor, I forgot to put a title in as well the first time I came on the board.The awful thing is it leaves the name there so everyone knows what you've done! Good luck with your research