Father not named

[jo1962]

Hi folks,

I hope one of you experienced researchers can help a novice  My great grandmother - she was a twin was born in 1884, a month later her mother married her father. what puzzles me is why he isn't named on her birth or marriage certificate? My great grandmother was given her mothers maiden name.  The evidence I have to support him being her father is some old insurance receipts, and she is named on his death certificate as 'daughter'.  I also think its highly unlikely a man would marry a woman with twins one month after they were born if he wasn't the father!  does anybody know if back in that era an illegitmate child couldn't have the fathers name entered onto birth and marriage certs?

Many thanks

Jo 

[avm228]

At that time, under legislation which came into force in 1875, an unmarried father's name and occupation could only appear on the birth certificate if both mother and father requested it and both parents attended the registration and signed the entry as informants.

As to marriage, in practice a bride or groom could say what they liked to the Registrar/minister as to who their father was as there was no checking done.  However, if the bride's surname was her mother's maiden name she might not have wished to draw attention to her illegitimacy by mentioning the name of a father with a different surname.

Anna

[stanmapstone]

There could be many reasons why either the bride or groom did not want the father's details shown on the certificate, and the instructions to the clergy clearly say "If, on these Particulars being asked for, there be ANY hesitation or reluctance to state them, no further inquiry need be made".
The vicar was not to ask for the reason, and allowed to leave the columns blank, in other words there was no compulsion to give the information.


Stan

[jo1962]

Thankyou both for your replies, they make things a lot clearer.

Jo

[aghadowey]

Jo- have you found a church baptismal record? Sometimes the father of an illegitiamte child will be listed in the register. However, in a case like this if the parents were married at the time of the baptism the name of the mother's husband might be listed as the father whether or not he actually was the 'real' father of the child.

[jo1962]

Hi,

No I haven't yet found baptism records though I have a trip planned to the records office next week.

Thanks for your reply

Jo