Croydon Workhouse inmate

[groom]

This looks as if it could be her parents' marriage

Marriages Sep 1853   

HOUNSLOW    Hannah       
LAWRENCE    Samuel       
Camberwell    1d   826    

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

Welcome to RootsChat


I think the marriage found by Rosie looks right Charles James HARDY was named as the father of Susan's child back in 1888.


Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter 02 June 1888





Regards,
Daisy

[pwlit]

Thank you for all help .........
The marriage certificate (23/11/1909) of my grandfather (William Charles Lawrence - age 22) to my grandmother (Lydia Alice Butland - age 21) gives his father as James Charles Lawrence and residence at time of marriage as 24 Elm Road, Thornton Heath. However, as previously stated, my grandfathers birth certificate (name, William Charles Albert) does not name a father, only his mother (ie Susan Lawrence).
If Susan Lawrence married Charles James Hardy in 1891, why would his father's name be James Charles Lawrence on his marriage certificate rather than Charles James Hardy?
My brain hurts trying to work out who's who and who isn't! And my searches on myheritage.com often result in conflicting records. Are you sure I wouldn't be better off paying an expert to dig further back?
Thanks again.
PL

[pwlit]

Wow! How do you find all this stuff? However, if the Croydon Advertiser article is correct (ie Charles James Hardy was William Charles Albert's father), he appears to have married her 3 years later so why wouldn't he be named correctly as father on his sons' marriage certificate?

[groom]

 No, you'd be wasting your money as I doubt very much if they would find out any more than we have and they would charge you something like £25 an hour!

I wouldn't worry too much about the names on the marriage certificate, they are only as good as the vicar is told.

From that piece in the Croydon Advertiser, it is obvious that Charles James Hardy was the father. He may have reversed his names in everyday use, not unusual. William's surname was Lawrence as that is how he was registered. The vicar may have said to him "Father's name" and William answered "James Charles" with the vicar just assuming that the surname was Lawrence. Not that unusual and you will find several threads here discussing it.

Charles James Hardy would not be named on his birth certificate as the parents were not married at the time, and it sounds if at first he was reluctant to accept responsibility.

[rosie99]

I agree with all that groom has said.   

The newspaper article is the icing on the cake as you have confirmation that he is the father, something most of us never establish with the illegitimate births in our trees. 

Excellent find Daisypetal     

[rosie99]

Charles, Susan a family in 1901 at 102, Pawsons Road, Croydon
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9X5-SHT

1911 without William
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW8G-YBL

Who were the witnesses at the wedding of William Charles 

[solidrock]

That looks about right rosie, Pawsons Road run along side of Queens Road hospital, the old workhouse.

[rosie99]

That looks about right rosie, Pawsons Road run along side of Queens Road hospital, the old workhouse.

It is also where Susan was living in the Newspaper report