Couchman Birth 1863

[dsommie]

My Gr-Gr- grandmother (Mary Couchman) gave birth to Catherine Harriet Couchman in Nov 1863. She then married my Gr-Gr-grandfather (Robert Sommerville) at St Michaels Church, Aldershot on 27th December 1863.
Question: can someone explain to me why Robert was NOT named on the birth certificate as the father for Catherine, who was born one month earlier! Also, marriage cert states that Robert was a Servant, yet he had left Ireland to join the 59th Regiment in 1855? He left the army early in 1865 in Glasgow? Any idea's? Was Catherine some else's child? In the 1871 census for Glasgow she is Catherine Sommerville. Any help appreciated!

[avm228]

He was not named as the father because, even assuming he was the natural father, he was not married to the mother at the time of the birth. Later legislation enacted in 1874 enabled an unmarried father to be named on a birth registration if he attended before the registrar with the mother, but that obviously did not apply to an 1863 birth.

[dsommie]

Many thanks for this - that would explain the Non- appearance! :-)

[avm228]

"Servant" on the marriage certificate may have been a fib to prevent his being linked to the barracks, if (for example) he had not obtained his commanding officer's permission to marry.

[dsommie]

That would make sense - especially as it would appear that he has married Mary because of the pregnancy?
Mary was born and brought up in Frant, East Sussex. Does anyone know if the trains from Aldershot Barracks would have traveled via Frant when journeying from Aldershot and Dover?
I have traced Roberts Regiment (59th) during 1861 - 1863 and he was between Dover and Aldershot.

[chempat]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frant_railway_station#/media/File:Dover,_Folkestone_%26_Tunbridge_Wells_RJD_33.jpg