A question about English birth registrations

[medpat]

I had a great great great aunt widowed  after 2 years marriage, had a son during the marriage. Four years and six years after husband's death had a daughter then a son. Three years after second son born married and had more children.

The first three children kept their surname after mother's second marriage - the name of her late husband.

I sent for the daughter's BC and she had her first name, mother's married name and MMN is there BUT no name/occupation for the father. Child known under mother's late husband's surname for census records. Birth registered under mother's married name.

[Jolyon]

Belinda,

As a matter of interest I have an instance in my family exactly as you describe (1940s) and the child was registered twice, once to each possible father.

Jolyon

[AntonyMMM]

Belinda,

As a matter of interest I have an instance in my family exactly as you describe (1940s) and the child was registered twice, once to each possible father.

Jolyon

Have you got copies of both certificates, or is that an assumption based on indexing ?

If it is two separate entries (and not just one entry indexed twice) then it will be a re-registration to add an unmarried father, or legitimise a birth after the parents marriage. The wording on each entry  is crucial to understanding what happened.

[Andrew Tarr]

All children had to be registered from the 1st July 1837

Though (like anything else) it doesn't mean every one was.  It's a fair assumption though.  Usually you only have to worry about how the name was spelt.