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Hello Rootschat,

My ancestor was Lancelot Watkins, husband of Catherine and he died in Neath, Glamorgan in 1756.

His wife Catherine died in 1761 and they had multiple children, them being;

Lancelot (1733 - 1799)
Richard (1736 - 1738)
Catherine (1737 - 1737)
Richard (1741 - ?)
Rees (1743 - ?)
David (1745 - 1746)
Catherine (1747 - 1747)
Abraham (1749 - 1774)

I have checked the parish registers of Neath and I can't seem to find a baptism or marriage for Lancelot, as well as the baptism for his son Lancelot despite the records going into the 1600s.

You would think a name as unusual as Lancelot Watkins would be easy to locate, but it seems as if he was from another parish since his baptism and marriage are absent. Unless he was from a different denomination other than Anglican, I am at a loss.

Any advice or help would be appreciated

my thanks

Looks that way, which is crazy considering he married my great great grandmother Catherine in 1882, two years after the birth of the child.

Hello,

I was looking through the prison records for Swansea 1888 - 1890 when I came across my great, great grandfather William Watkins, who was aged 30 in 1888.

It states that he was imprisoned for one month on 13th August 1888 because of bastardy arrears. I assume this was because he had to pay for the upkeep of an illegitimate child.

According to the record, there was a previous conviction for the same crime on 27th April 1888, Register 42.

Is there any way to find out who the illegitimate child was and perhaps who the mother was?

thanks

Would they be on Roots Ireland or a specific record office in Cork?