SRO Lookup - Caroline MAYHEW bc 1858 Coddenham

[caron]

I have an ancestor called Caroline Mayhew born 18 August 1858 At The Street Coddenham Suffolk, who was a base child of Susan Mayhew.

There is no father listed on the birth certificate.

When Caroline married in 1880 in Southwark she is using the name
Caroline Fox, and she says her fathers name is George Fox. 

I cant find a marriage for Susan Mayhew to a George Fox.  In 1871 Susan Mayhew was living in Paddington single with another child aged 5 who also had no father mentioned in his birth certificate.

Would anyone know if you were allowed to use your fathers name on a marriage certificate, if the parents were not married.  I understand you can change your name by deed poll now but could you do this in 1880?

I was wondering whether Susan Mayhew applied for any payment relief from the father when Caroline was born in 1858?  I understand that there are bastardy records to view at Ipswich Record Office, but there is a waiting list of 10 weeks.

If anyone going to the Ipswich Record Office who would be able to help me with looking at the bastardy records I would be very grateful. As I have Susans daughters birth date, I am hoping that it would be straightforward.
I of course would pay any expenses incurred.

I live in Kent and cannot get to Suffolk to look this record up myself.

I look forward to receiving any advice or thoughts on this query.

regards

[coombs]

Hi Caron

Have you found Caroline in the 1861 and 1871 censuses for Suffolk? She is living with her grandparents George and Susan Mayhew at Coddenham. George and Susan are 58 and 59 in 1861 and 68 and 69 in 1871.

I cannot locate Susan b1832 in the 1861 census.

Most illegitimate births do not record a fathers name before 1874. However there was nothing to stop a mother naming anyone as the father but this was quite rare. I imagine that many women didnt know this rule, and even if they did, they may have kept quiet or just told the truth that she wasnt married to the father whether or not he was known.

Ben

[coombs]

Hi

I may have found Susan in the 1861 census aged 29 born c1832 in Ipswich as a scullery maid. The birthplace looks mistranscribed but it looks like Creeting All Saints which is where George's wife Susan was born c1804.

Ben

[caron]

thank you Ben.

I had found Caroline in the 1861 and 1871 census living with her grandparents. Susan was working in Debenham Suffolk as a servant in 1851, amd in 1861 she was a scullery maid at the Crown and Anchor Hotel Ipswich - still single.

Somewhere between 1871 and 1880 caroline uses FOX as her surname.

 For information Caroline Mayhew/Fox/ spent many years travelling around the world working on  sailing barques sometimes travelling with her husband and sometimes on her own.  She was a stewardess and I have all her boat papers that were issued at the end of each voyage.   She must have had an incredible life!

I have hit a brick wall with Carolines father George Fox as I cant identify where or when he was born and who he married?  My scripture book says he married 11 Feb 1888 so I have the date.   I dont know whom he married!

Thanks for the advice

caron

[coombs]

Hi Caron

Survival registers of bastardy examinations or quarter session may very. I do know that the SRO in Lowestoft has Quarter Sessions listed up to the early 1900s.

If Caroline was a servant, then she may have been taken advantage of.

Ben

[caron]

Thanks Ben for your reply
can you explain about the records I might find in these quarter meetings. I have never researched the bastardy records before.  Who would Susan have applied for help from?   How did the process work?
caron

[coombs]

Hi Caron

If the reputed father was named, and if he couldnt marry the mother, then often he may be forced to pay maintenance from the local Poor Law. After 1834 as in your case, she may have applied for an affliation order or maintenance order. The parish would have wanted the father to pay towards the baby's upkeep if the father was known. Often the mother was forced to reveal the fathers name and in many cases he married the mother, either out of his own steam or forced. He may have married the mum when he was free to, which may have had to have been after the birth. As said, if he couldnt marry the mum due to being already married, then he would probably have had to pay maintenance through the parish, courts or even a private agreement within the family which there is little or no chance of any mention of such an agreement if it was private.

If the father was unknown or had died or ran off, then the baby may have been given up and boarded out of handed over to a relative of the mother, or even blended in by saying the baby was a neice, cousin or a much younger sibling but if Caroline's gran was about 55 in 1858, she may not have got away with pretending that she was the mother. Caroline was handed over to her grandparents while her mum went for work.

My best bet would be to try Quarter Sessions, then maybe see if Coddenham churchwarden accounts survive. As Susan never married after the birth, then you may strike it lucky through the records that I mentioned.

[caron]

Thank you for your detailed replies  . I was very interested to read your comments.

Caroline was brought up by her grandparents as far as I know. She was listed as a granddaughter in the 1861 census. where she was living with George and Susan Mayhew her grandparents.

In 1871 she is still with the grandparents, and is listed as a grandchild.

Susan was working away in the 1851 and 1861 censuses.  In 1871 Susan was living at Paddington with some Mayhew brothers and had a five year old son called George who was also illegitimate.!  She obviously decided to leave Caroline with the grandparents at this time as Caroline is still living with them at the 1871 census. 

I wil lhave to look on the SRO web site to see if I can find anyone to look up the quarter sessions for me.

Perhaps she even had to claim maintenance in 1865 when she had her second child George out of wedlock.  I dont know where I would find this information for Paddington where George was born.

I am still puzzled as to where Susan went after 1871.
Regards Caron

Thanks for your help

[caron]

I have now discovered why I hadnt found Susan Mayhew after 1871. She married in 1874 and was using the name susan Fox and not mayhew. She is saying she was a widow, even though no first marriage had been found. Her illegitimate children say their father is George Fox. I have never found a George Fox in any records yet.    I have yet to check to see if there are any requests from George Fox for maintenance.   

I might be lucky in finding some records mentioning George Fox!