IGI only mother's name listed?

[SeaThreePeeO]

When Christenings on the IGI only have the mother's name listed with the same surname as the child does that point towards a birth outside of marriage?

[Little Nell]

Yes, that is the most likely explanation.

Nell

[SeaThreePeeO]

Oh fooph!  I guess I have hit one great dead end now 

[aghadowey]

Keep in mind that parents of an illegitimate child might have married after the child's birth/christening.

[trish251]

Depending on the location, there can be other records which may reference the father. I know little about this, but hopefully someone else can give details. I think, especially in Scotland, much was done by the parish to determine the father.

Trish

[Carmela]

This topic has come up many times. Here are links to a few threads:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,236066.0.html

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,16343.0.html

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,190647.0.html

Carmela

[SeaThreePeeO]

Thank you all for the advice and links.

Caroline Friend seems to have been baptised a few years after her birth.  Which should be around 1806 according the the age she gave on the 1851 Census.  She was baptised in 1810.  All that is listed is mother Sophia Friend.  I have found a Sophia Friend around the same place as Caroline was born on the 1841 Census giving the birth year of 1761.  If this is the right Sophia then it looks as if she may not have been married.

However I am hoping to get the marriage certificate of Caroline in the hopes a father may be listed.

[Valda]

Be aware illegitmate people often fabricated information on their marriages - there were no checks in the system, so if they married in an area where they were not known they could give what information they chose. Most did not wish to admit to illegitimacy if they didn't have to. Father's first names where they knew them might be correct, but usually their surnames would not be since if they were known by their mother's surname that is the one they gave for their father. They might also chose a close male relative's name or the name chosen could just be a work of fiction.

Regards

Valda

[SeaThreePeeO]

I understand, I was just hoping had Caroline's parents married after her birth her marriage certificate might help clear things up.  But I do think I might be flogging a dead horse with this one.  Still it would be interesting to find out what she did put down on her marriage cert.