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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: bscott75 on Monday 06 November 17 23:17 GMT (UK)
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How to I find the name of the father in the case of illegitimate children?
I am searching for the father of twin girls born in Rothesay, Isle of Bute, in 1872. I have their names and the name of their mother. But the name of the father is not in the birth register.
Their names are Jessie and Janet Pritchard. And their mother is Janet Pritchard.
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Hello and welcome to RootsChat
You have little chance of finding the father's name if it is not recorded on the birth certificate.
Unless someone in the family knows it.
Dawn M
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Welcome from me too
Did the twins name a father on their marriage certs? Do their death certs show a fathers name? Occasionally illegitimate children find their fathers names etc in later life but it's a slim hope and would only apply if they married and died in Scotland
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And their mother is Janet Pritchard.
The 1881 has 8yr old twins Jessie & Janet Pritchard born Rothesay living in Lanarkshire with parents Robert & Mary Pritchard
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Thanks for your reply.
They are indeed recorded in the 1881 census as the daughters of Robert and Mary Pritchard. But their birth certificates record the name of their mother as Janet Pritchard, who worked as a domestic servant. And no name for the father. They were born in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.
Perhaps they were informally or formally adopted and raised by relatives Robert and Mary Pritchard in Lanarkshire.
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There is an 1862 Sheriff Court Paternity case in Airdrie brought by Janet Pritchard, Domestic Servant, Barrachnie nr Baillieston against Douglas McGill of Barrachnie.
Clearly not the twins but possibly the same mother, especially as there is a 17 year old George Pritchard born 'Bailliestone' in the same household in 1881.
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Welcome from me too.
Not sure how acquainted you are with SP site but just incase you missed it...
Was there a reference to a RCE (Correction) on SP which would have an entry on the left side margin of the BCs next to their names?
If so they are free to download.
Many people don't notice them hence my question.
Annie
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Did you see my reply re any father named on marriage or death certs?
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My 4xG grandfather's sister had two illegitimate children. Neither birth certificate states a father and the daughter's marriage certificate states 'born out of wedlock' under the father's name & occupation. Her half brother claims a father on his marriage cert, a carpenter, deceased. I have found a carpenter of the same name living locally at the time of his conception. He was married with his own children, no proof of course but an interesting line of research for me :)
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I have not been able to find any marriage to death certificates of either of the twins, because I don't have married surnames.
Strangely I have found the 1872 birth entry for one twin on Scotland's People (Jessie), but not the other twin (Janet). Yet they both survived, because they are recorded in the 1881 census as living in Lanarkshire with Robert Pritchard, who is my great-great-grandfather. He was not their father, but might have been an uncle (still checking that line).
Many years ago my great-aunt told me about illegitimate twins in the family history who were born on the Isle of Bute. According her their father was an Earl. Since the mother of the twins was a servant, that would not have been an unusual occurrence for those times.
I was researching someone else when the twins unexpectedly appeared in the 1881 census, and I remembered the old story about illegitimate twins born on Bute.
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Strangely I have found the 1872 birth entry for one twin on Scotland's People (Jessie), but not the other twin (Janet)
There is a Jeanie Pritchard birth registered 1872 , Rothesay Bute.
ev
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Possible sister Margaret Pritchard born 28th May 1870 Rothesay Bute , mother Janet Pritchard.
(Familysearch).
ev
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As Janet and Jessie are usually interchangeable names, it seems odd that each of these names would be given to twins.
There are only 2 female Pritchard births showing on SP for Bute 1872 and are 2 entries apart
Jessie Pritchard
558/ 177
Jeanie Pritchard
558/ 179
Both births are on Ancestry.
Both twins born 20 Aug 1872
Their names are Jeanie and Jessie so, I am guessing that the name showing in the 1881 census in the error
1891: Kingarth, Bute
Robert McDougall 65
Jane Mc McDougall 64
Duncan McDougall 33
Robert McDougall 31
Thos McDougall 25
Jas McDougall 22
William McLean 18
Archd Henderson 16
Sarah McDougall 34
**Jeanie Pritchard 18 B Rothesay Servant
I suspect that this one is "Jessie" as any version of Janet/Jessie can be used at any time
1891
6 Castle St, Rothesay
Margaret Daly 47
Julia Daly 17
William Daly 14
**Janet Pritchard 18 Gen Servant
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Thank you! Jeanie is the other twin.
Something is written in the left column of her birth notice, but I cannot decipher it. It does look like "Erasure in col six", but I am not sure.
I have found their mother: Janet Pritchard, born to George and Margaret Pritchard (M.S. Jenkins) in 1842.
Robert Pritchard, born in 1840, is her brother. So he clearly took the twins in and raised them since they are with him in the 1881 census.
Janet was still on Bute in 1881, working as a dairymaid on Ballochmartin Farm.
Thank you everyone for your help and advice.
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It will be noting a simple error made in Col6.
Something will have been amended/altered on the cert but, did not require an RCE
Have you checked either of these marriages?
PRITCHARD
JEANIE
FAULDS
WILLIAM
1895
558/ 7
Rothesay
PRITCHARD
JANET
HAMILTON
THOMAS
1896
558/ 12
Rothesay
Found Jeanie Faulds in Rothesay at 1901.
Her age is about right but it seems she married an older widower?
William Faulds 45
***Jeannie Faulds 28 Wife
William Faulds 20
Jeanne Faulds 16
Agnes Faulds 12
Christina Faulds 10
Lizzie Faulds 8
Mary Morton 63
Is this Janet/ Jessie?
Again, her age is about right but her husband is not in householdand
1901: Mansefield Pl 141 High St
Janet Hamilton 29 B Rothesay Firemans Wife
John J P Hamilton 10
Jeanie Hamilton 3
Wm Hamilton 1
Lizzie Nelson 18
John Mack 22
John Mckinnon 48
Catherine Mckinnon 50
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Thanks Anne, I will check on those marriages. Perhaps the twins returned to Bute when they were older. Their mother did remain there, so it is possible.
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Yes indeed, it could be Jeanie Pritchard.
The marriage entry states that she married William Faulds, who was a widower, on 12 April 1895. Her mother's name is Janet Mack (M.S. Pritchard). I will see if I can verify this, but it seems right.
No father mentioned - which is not surprising.
Thanks again for your help.
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Mother's marriage:
PRITCHARD
JANET
MACK
JAMES
1890
558/ 12
Rothesay
Edit
Looks like James Mack may have been a widower too.
1891 104 Montague Street
Name Age
James Mack 40
Janet Mack 48 Wife B Coatbridge
James Mack 17
John Mack 12
Jessie Mack 2
James Fleming 3 Ms . Adopted son
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Yes indeed, it does seem that way.
Maybe a widower was more prepared to marry an illegitimate girl, because his parents would probably have less influence.
I find it rather nice that the mother finally married James Mack. I hope he was good to her.
Thanks for your information.