RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: sallyyorks on Saturday 24 December 16 00:24 GMT (UK)
-
Hi there Durham
I have some information from a birth certificate where the fathers name is blank. The child was born illegitimate in Spennymoor, the mother was a widow. The birth was registered Durham, Sept 1886.
Might there be some record of a maintenance order, or any other record, naming the father. Where would these type of records be held and how would I go about finding them ?
Thanks
-
I have had success in obtaining copies of Bastardy Files from the East Sussex Records Office - The Keep at Lewes.
Their website is https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/localandfamilyhistory/esro
I have personally visited them as well as contacting them via email. They are very accommodating and I am sure they will be able to help you.
Have a very Merry Christmas and a successful New Year.
John...Sydney
-
Thank you Vabre
Your post has given me some new hope of finding records :)
Merry Xmas and happy new year to you too
-
Sally if you have any trouble contacting "The Keep" let me know and I will have a rat around to see if I still have the actual and possible direct email address with the person who helped me.
John...Sydney
-
The Bastardy Act of 1845 enabled an unmarried mother to apply to the Petty Sessions for an affiliation order against the father for maintenance of the mother and child. Any such records could be held by Durham County Record Office. Some cases are reported in the local paper.
Stan
-
Sally,
My experiences were for files from the Sussex area therefore I guess Stan Mapstones advice to try the Durham County Records Office would be more appropriate.
John...Sydney
-
I have one which was recorded in the local paper, so that is a possibility.
-
Thanks for your suggestions everyone, and happy new year
-
Sally
Just another thought, have you found his baptism, I searched for years after I recieved my G Grandfathers birth certificate and the father was not recorded, went down the same root you are now going down, but someone suggested looking at the baptism, and sure enough he was named on the record.
Best wishes
John
-
Sally
Just another thought, have you found his baptism, I searched for years after I recieved my G Grandfathers birth certificate and the father was not recorded, went down the same root you are now going down, but someone suggested looking at the baptism, and sure enough he was named on the record.
Best wishes
John
Sorry I missed your post John
I couldn't find baptisms for any of the family
-
Hi Sally
In my case my G Granddads, James William Swan Wake, birth cert had no father named when I eventually found his baptism record he was baptised James William Swan and his father was James William Swan. I am not sure but I think someone told me that sometimes, for religious reasons perhaps, the fathers name was submitted at the baptism. My G Grandmother Dorothy Wake was in service with the Swan family and James William was the son, so he possibly thought he was going to marry her, and then he or his family stopped it. I know that apparently the mother would often use the fathers full name as part of the childs name, which is exactly what she did in my case, does your relative have a middle name could be linked to the father. Would you share the name you are looking for, or do you prefer to do all your own research.
Best wishes
John
-
Thanks again jowake.
The mothers husband, a coal miner at Tudhoe, died two years before the child was born and was buried at Holy Innocents. So perhaps the same church was used for a baptism two years later.
I have started another topic in Durham Lookup Requests here http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=768564.msg6208845#msg6208845
I have had an email from the Durham archives, who were very helpful. Any maintenance records would have come under The Durham Petty Sessions but unfortunately the archives do not hold these maintenance records prior to 1912.