Registration of birth does not match baptism information....advice please?

[maccalenny]

Hello
Does anyone have advice or similar experiences? I have William Samson (or Sampson) Bird. From his birth certificate, he was born on 5th October 1863 in Park Lane, Aston. His mother was Clara Bird. From the family history, she was unmarried and Bird was her maiden name.   No father named.

William was baptised on 25th October at St Peter and Paul, Aston. The address is still Park Lane, but he has acquired a father, William Bird, a jeweller.

So has she lied? Got a man to stand up with her to christen her son? Would the vicar not know that she was actually unmarried? Was it easy to get away with this?

Thanks for any thoughts on this little puzzle.

[Deirdre784]

The GRO website has a ‘-‘ for mother’s maiden name, which generally suggests that she was not married. If she were, the birth certificate should give her maiden name, so it would seem likely that she was not married. Quite likely therefore that the ‘father’ named on the baptism was added for appearance sake. Not sure that any checks were made but would be strange if the family was known to the church 🤔

Have you found anything later for her, like a marriage, or a census entry?

[crisane]

1871 RG10 Piece 3095 Folio 34 Page 12
32 Ledlam? St, Lady Wood Birmingham
Thomas Harding 40
Clara Harding 28
William Bird 7
Albert A Harding 3 - GRO mmn Bird
Ada Harding 1- GRO mmn Bird

Clara and Thomas married June 1/4 1867

Could William's middle name Sam(p)son be a nod to his father's surname

[Deirdre784]

Just beat me to that census crisane 😀

Marriage in Birmingham, Jun quarter 1867. Vol 6d, page 76.

[Thornwood]

I had a similar thing happen, no father on the birth certificate but one on the baptism record. In my case she named her own father as the father of the child. I thought that maybe I had a case of incest but it was suggested that the vicar asked for the name of the father and she thought he meant her father I also read that vicars often insisted that the name of the father was given so that he could take responsibility for the child if anything happened to the mother rather that the parish picking up the responsibility.
In my case the child named his 'grandfather' as his father on his marriage certificate. Did he know his grandfather was his father or did he just do it for respectability. I will never know.

[Maiden Stone]

I had a similar thing happen, no father on the birth certificate but one on the baptism record. In my case she named her own father as the father of the child. I thought that maybe I had a case of incest but it was suggested that the vicar asked for the name of the father and she thought he meant her father I also read that vicars often insisted that the name of the father was given so that he could take responsibility for the child if anything happened to the mother rather that the parish picking up the responsibility.
In my case the child named his 'grandfather' as his father on his marriage certificate. Did he know his grandfather was his father or did he just do it for respectability. I will never know.

I've encountered the same thing. It was at the busy parish church of a rapidly growing town. The family wouldn't have got way with it in the village they'd moved from.

[trish1120]

Although Clara Harding nee Bird is born c 1843 on Census after she married Thomas she is actually born 1840. Mothers maiden name Brown.

Marriage has her Father as James, occp comb maker.


1841 Census
Handsworth, Staffs
James Bird, 30, Comb maker
Sarah Bird, 30
Ann Bird, 15
James Bird, 14
Thomas Bird, 10
Matilda Bird, 7
Mary Bird, 5
Sampson Bird, 4**
Clara Bird, 12mths**

So she has a Brother Sampson.
He appears to be Bapt 29 May 1836 Birmingham, Warwickshire as Samson to James/Sarah

James/Sarah had a mass christening of their children 4 Oct 1835 same Church;
Mary/Ann/James/Matilda/Thomas

Marriage;
21 March 1825, St. Philip'S Cathedral, Birmingham, Warwickshire
James BIRD to Sarah BROWN

[maccalenny]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and help. Most likely solution seems to be that she was single then, but named a father for the baby when she got him baptised. By the next census she has married and William Samson is described as husband's stepson. The next, William has taken her husband's surname and dropped the William - Samson Harding. He died aged 23, Reg'd as William Sampson Harding. Sampson was a family name but William was not, so many it is the nameWilliam that linked to the dad. Maybe that was why he didn't use the name William for a while.
Thank you!