Who's The Daddy?

[Denise2779]

My grandmother born in 1933 was an illegitimate child. Her mother never told her who her father was and it was a well kept secret. My grandmother ended up being looked after by her aunt and then in Nazareth House Children's Home in Derry. She mentioned to someone once that her father was an American. I don't know where she heard this or if it was plain fantasy to take away from the fact she was unloved and unwanted. Either way. She never found out and I would like to try but there is no father named on the birth certificate. Is there any other way to find out the fathers name or should I just accept it's going to be a mystery that will forever remain unsolved?

[Pejic]

Welcome to RootsChat

Not all adopted children were unloved and unwanted, sometimes they were given up with great sorrow because the mother realised she could not give the child any sort of life.

Have you asked the Home if they have any records?

[aghadowey]

Was your grandmother born in County Londonderry?

Sometimes baptism records list name or father (or supposed father) so that might be worth a try if you know where she was born.

The Nazareth Home records might be another resource to try- scroll down a bit on this page for information:
http://londonderry.wordpress.com/people/

[Denise2779]

Thanks for the reply

She was not adopted...just pretty much abandoned by her mother. She was born in Strabane and then in the Home in Derry. I have not asked the Home as I didn't know how to go about it seeing as it is now an Old Peoples Home. Her mother married and had more children (some of which I know) but my grandmother's father remains a mystery

[Denise2779]

I contacted the church on Barrack Street in Stabane as I found this was the closest Church to my great grandmothers home. The lady there was very quick to get back to me to tell me that there was no father named but that there was 2 names under surname. One being Early (the one she was known as - her mothers own name) and the other being CURRY. Where do I go from here? By asking around the name HERDMAN has now also been thrown into the mix but the one on the baptism records is Curry. I tried to contact several email addresses for Nazareth House but can't get thru.

[babykate]

Hi Denise

I am having exactly the same issue. My grandmother was born in belfast and sent to Nazareth House on Ormeau Road in 1916. She was offically adopted either and we have heard conflicting "stories" about who her father might be.

We contacted Nazreth House in belfast and the Chapel where she was baptised but like you only got a surname of Loftus but nothing else - we don't even know really who her mother was. But we did get an address where the mother lived in belfast and who her brother was. So you might pick up some small but important details either through the church or nazareth house in belfast. Good luck!!

[Denise2779]

Thanks for that! I will try Belfast and see what direction they can point me in - if any

[Finley 1]

It is such a shame, that you cannot find anything.  I do hope you manage to settle with the fact that you may never do....   BUT if you keep all information tucked away safely, then future generations, may well be able to solve the problem, when later info is added.   If you get what I mean....

xin

[Denise2779]

I had contented myself with the fact that I would never find anything out...so to at least have a surname is such a massive bonus. I'll keep digging but likely won't get much further than the surname. I have looked on the census and there is actually a curry family who live very close by where my grandmother was born. I'd be quite sure that this family may well contain the father of my granny as they r the only people of that name in that area.