Still no birth record

[Jo_and_Tim]

Hi, I have been searching for the birth record of my grandmother for around 18 months now, with no luck.
On her marriage cert. she is down as Caroline Christine Shephard (although she was known as Christine Caroline)
She was born in 1890 Tewkesbury Glous. Her Father was William Shephard, a farmer.
Her age is given as 24 on the marriage cert. in 1916. which doesn't go with the birth year.
I've searched 5 years either side of 1890.
If her parents were not married at the time of the birth and she was registered under a different name, how does one go about finding out her mothers maiden name. The only other clue I have is that she had a sister who was known as aunty lou lou !! no help really.
Is this an impossible case?

[Necromancer]

do you have the family on the 1901 census ?

kids ages might enable you to search back for Williams marriage ....

[Jo_and_Tim]

I've not been able to find a William Shephard on the census with a daughter Christine  or Caroline

[Necromancer]

hmmmm - see what you mean !

If Caroline / Christine was born after the 1891 census, we may be looking at a situation in 1901 where she is a stepchild, taking the surname of her stepfather ...

what firm evidence is there that her PoB is Tewksbury ?

[Jo_and_Tim]

Yes this is what i'm starting to think now, that William Shephard was not her real father and she was registered under another name. Not knowing her mothers name, i'm on an impossible task I think.

[PaulineJ]

She may well have been enumerated under a step-father's surname until she married.
What other names appear on the marriage cert? (witness')

Often ages are fiddled to make the age gap respectable, what are all the other details on that M Cert?

Pauline

[Necromancer]

If Caroline / Christine was born after the 1891 census, we may be looking at a situation in 1901 where she is a stepchild, taking the surname of her stepfather ...

what firm evidence is there that her PoB is Tewksbury ?

Hi - how do you know for sure that she was born in Tewkesbury ?

[PaulineJ]

And of course, there's always electoral rolls to search if an address is given in 1916.

Pauline

[Necromancer]

PJ makes a good point about ages being fiddled - and its also a possibility that the Father's name is a complete fabrication - quite often, illegitimacy was 'hidden' by using a Grandparent or Uncle's name.

So where was the Marriage in 1916 ?