Putative Father

[Stangat]

Thanks to some good information from Gillywilly and Pels I have hopefully found two bastardy records relating to my tree.

My question is, what use are they, in that I presume they are the assumed father as declared by the mother. Did the bastardy returns mean they had admitted it and provided funds or just cleared off?

Any info would be most welcome.

Thanks

Ian

[jorose]

http://www.gmcro.co.uk/cs/poor_law_records.htm - there's a bit of a description here.
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LIN/poorbastard.html - and a list of different types of records that might be found over here.

[Stangat]

Thank you Jorose (and Patrish via PM) for some very interesting information about the details available etc for putative fathers.

Hopefully this will give me a door through the wall.

Ian

[Dancing Master]

Putative means that it was presumed but most likely to be wrong.

[Stangat]

Dancing Master, I must admit I was wondering about that myself. I have checked the definition of putative in a few dictionaries and agree that it is "what one would believe but probably wrong".

I am trying to find an old definition purely to see if it's meaning may have changed. The only reason being is, to me it seems a little strange for it to be used in this context by a very large field of "recorders". It would seem more likely that in a lot of cases it would be correct rather than probably wrong.

Does that make sense

Regards

Ian

[JAP]

Definition of 'putative':
Commonly thought or deemed; supposed; reputed; as in the putative father of a child.

That's all it means.

A check of dictionaries I own, and also online dictionaries confirms this.

I have never ever heard of any such rider as "but most likely to be wrong" 

What dictionary did that suggestion come from 

JAP

[Stangat]

Thanks JAP

That's why I was trying to find a different definition. The word was a new one on me so I used a couple of on-line dictionaries when at work. I'll have to check our home one when I get in this PM.

It would seem to be more sensible.

Cheers

Ian

[Dancing Master]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putative_marriage

A putative marriage is an apparently valid marriage, entered into in good faith on part of at least one of the partners, but is invalid due to an impediment, such as a currently valid marriage on part of one of them. Unlike someone in a common-law, statutory, or ceremonial marriage, a putative spouse is not actually married. Instead, a putative spouse believes himself or herself to be married in good faith and is given legal rights as a result of this person's reliance upon this good faith belief.

http://jfs.ohio.gov/pfr/index.stm

[Stangat]

Dancing Master

Once again, thank you for that. I can understand where they were coming from now.

Cheers

Ian