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Census Lookups General Lookups => Census and Resource Discussion => Topic started by: gingerslf on Monday 10 May 21 17:28 BST (UK)
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I have a mystery/puzzle in my family.
My mother had a half sister (Helen)
Her mother refused to tell Helen who her father was.
I have just seen the 1939 register, she is single but her surname name has been crossed out and changed.
It has been changed to what would become her MARRIED name the following year!
Her future husband knew all his life who her father was but refused to tell anyone.
I'm pretty sure he must have told Helen or the marriage would not have lasted, but their children were never told.
Helen's husband had nothing to do with his mother in law so I'm certain it was not her that told him and why would she tell him and not her daughter!
The question is this.
Why would her husband know the name of her father and who would have told him?
I think I know the answer but would like some other opinions.
Thanks
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I have just seen the 1939 register, she is single but her surname name has been crossed out and changed.
It has been changed to what would become her MARRIED name the following year!
The register was used after the war by the NHS (from 1948) until the early 1990's and most women who married after the register was compiled had their surnames amended on that register.
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I have also seen this happen for many relatives of mine on the 1939 register.
Unfortunately it seems that in this case, your only way of potentially finding out who Helen's father was, is if Helen's children agree to be DNA tested and you go about it that way.
I hope you will find the answers you seek.
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The question is this.
Why would her husband know the name of her father and who would have told him?
Have You viewed Helen's Birth or Marriage Certificate, to see if Her Father's Name appears on it ?
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The question is this.
Why would her husband know the name of her father and who would have told him?
Have You viewed Helen's Birth or Marriage Certificate, to see if Her Father's Name appears on it ?
Yes I have and no mention.
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I have just seen the 1939 register, she is single but her surname name has been crossed out and changed.
It has been changed to what would become her MARRIED name the following year!
The register was used after the war by the NHS (from 1948) until the early 1990's and most women who married after the register was compiled had their surnames amended on that register.
Thanks for that.
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Is there a three-letter code beside the amendment to the married name?
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Is there a three-letter code beside the amendment to the married name?
No there isn't.
I see on the same page others that have been amended with the letters DXA next to them.
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The code denotes where the information came from to amend the register.
It could only have come via an official source I think.
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No harm in posting this I hope!
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It is more than likely that there was a code beside her name denoting the alteration, but sadly the page is damaged just at that point.
As Rosie has already said, it was fairly standard practice for women who had married to have their name amended on the register. It would have come from an official source.
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There might be something on the 1921 census that comes out next year.
:-\
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In that 1939 register extract, what is the relationship between Mary A Prior (born 1866) and Florence H Prior (born 1919), and are the dates of birth correct?
If they were said to be mother and daughter, then the dates of birth (if correct) seem to make that rather unlikely, though not impossible. Not many women would be able to have a baby at age 53, I think, so could this possible anomaly be part of the mystery/cover-up?
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Florence H is actually the Helen you refer to?
I’m being very thick but I don’t understand where the father/husband issue comes into it with regard to the 1939 register.
Florence married a man called Laughton in 1940 and subsequently, as was usual, the register was amended to reflect her new surname.
Someone please explain what I’m missing!
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In that 1939 register extract, what is the relationship between Mary A Prior (born 1866) and Florence H Prior (born 1919), and are the dates of birth correct?
If they were said to be mother and daughter, then the dates of birth (if correct) seem to make that rather unlikely, though not impossible. Not many women would be able to have a baby at age 53, I think, so could this possible anomaly be part of the mystery/cover-up?
The mother is Dorothy M b 1898.
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Florence H is actually the Helen you refer to?
I’m being very thick but I don’t understand where the father/husband issue comes into it with regard to the 1939 register.
Florence married a man called Laughton in 1940 and subsequently, as was usual, the register was amended to reflect her new surname.
Someone please explain what I’m missing!
You are missing nothing.
At the time of my post I was unaware that the register was amended for the reasons given previously.
But for some reason she also started using Helen instead of Florence.
As for explaining Prior, that's far too complicated and part of the puzzle!
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I don’t understand where the father/husband issue comes into it with regard to the 1939 register.
Florence married a man called Laughton in 1940 and subsequently, as was usual, the register was amended to reflect her new surname.
Someone please explain what I’m missing!
You are missing nothing.
As for explaining Prior, that's far too complicated and part of the puzzle!
I don't think anyone will be able to help unless you give details of the 'puzzle'?
Annie