A question about English birth registrations

[belindy]

Hi everyone,
If a married lady has a child to another man what name would be on the birth certificate?

Also what surname would the child usually have?

This was between 1920-1922.

Thank you
Belinda

[KGarrad]

Normally the child was assumed to be that of her husband.
No questions were asked!

Unless the actual father was at the Registration, in which case he would be named.
After 1874 a putative father had to be present at the Registration, and had to give his consent.

[belindy]

And by 1920 ALL children had to be registered am I correct?

[stanmapstone]

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

Stan

[belindy]

Thank you so much.

Now it is just a matter of finding the birth!

Sorry one more question. If the mother was a widow but not married to the father of the child how would the child typically be registered?

Belinda

[nanny jan]

However....if Mrs Smith was living with Mr Brown as his wife and using that surname that is how the child would be registered.

The Registrar would take what the informant said as accurate.

[stanmapstone]

The information on  certificates is only as good as that supplied by the people involved. The civil registration system in England and Wales is  'informant driven' that is the registrar can only put what he is told.

Stan

[belindy]

Thank you all so much. You have been very helpful!

[AntonyMMM]

Birth registrations (up to 1969) show no surname at all for the child, only their given names.

The question is whether the father can be included on the entry, and is so how that entry is subsequently indexed.

A married woman registering a birth can give the name of her husband as the father without him being present. She can give the name of another man, but he would have to be present to have his name recorded.