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Family History Beginners Board / "Bastard Laws" and courts in the U.K.
« on: Sunday 22 April 18 12:02 BST (UK) »
I'm hoping someone might steer me in the right direction.
I'm endeavouring to find a confirmed link between one of my wife's ancestors and the man he claimed was his father (born out of wedlock).
I'm told there were some bastard laws/courts that I could search in the UK (I'm resident in Australia). Where should I look?
Overview: Roberts Hastings Smith (1844 - 1901, my wife's GG Grandfather) claimed Charles Lennox Butler (1813 - 1885) was his father. Here is the circumstantial evidence to backup the claim:
1. Charles Lennox Butler (CLB) is listed as the father on Robert Hastings Smith's (RHS) death certificate in 1901 (with a hand-written notation adjacent to the entry saying "correct")
2. RHS names his oldest son Charles Lennox Smith (and his youngest daughter Charlotte Butler Smith)
3. RHS has multiple trips back to England during his lifetime, and
4. RHS apparently has a "pension" given to him through Meads Solicitors that ends in 1885 the time of Charles Lennox Butler's death (I haven't seen proof of this - just read about it on another rootschat thread). - Note: I purchased a copy of the will of CLB but it had not provision for RHS in it.
Hope someone can point me in the right direction for me to investigate further. Thanks
I'm endeavouring to find a confirmed link between one of my wife's ancestors and the man he claimed was his father (born out of wedlock).
I'm told there were some bastard laws/courts that I could search in the UK (I'm resident in Australia). Where should I look?
Overview: Roberts Hastings Smith (1844 - 1901, my wife's GG Grandfather) claimed Charles Lennox Butler (1813 - 1885) was his father. Here is the circumstantial evidence to backup the claim:
1. Charles Lennox Butler (CLB) is listed as the father on Robert Hastings Smith's (RHS) death certificate in 1901 (with a hand-written notation adjacent to the entry saying "correct")
2. RHS names his oldest son Charles Lennox Smith (and his youngest daughter Charlotte Butler Smith)
3. RHS has multiple trips back to England during his lifetime, and
4. RHS apparently has a "pension" given to him through Meads Solicitors that ends in 1885 the time of Charles Lennox Butler's death (I haven't seen proof of this - just read about it on another rootschat thread). - Note: I purchased a copy of the will of CLB but it had not provision for RHS in it.
Hope someone can point me in the right direction for me to investigate further. Thanks