Birth certificate informant

[mareanna]

This is first certificate I've seen quite like this. 

The child (Ann Marshall Bellaby) has the surnames of her mother (Maria Bellaby) and (presumed) father (William Marshall).  Nothing new there.  The father is shown, I've not seen that before, but the informant is neither.  It is written "The mark of Dorothy Wakefield, occupier, No. 17 Packer's Row, Bottom Building" 

Why would she be the informant, the mother did not die in childbirth or soon after, I thought that if the father is shown on the certificate he is present when the birth is registered

This is an 1839 birth, but the couple do not marry until 1880, after Maria's first husband's death.  Lovers reunited ??

Incidently, when Ann marries, her father is shown as William Marshall Bellaby 
The GRO lists her as:  Marshall, Ann Marshall Bellaby just to confuse things

Any explanation or background information greatly appreciated

mareanna

[stanmapstone]

The 1836 Registration Act states:
XX. And be it enacted, That the Father or Mother of every child born in England after the said First Day of March, or in case of the Death, Illness, Absence, or Inability of the Father or Mother, the Occupier of the House or Tenement in which such Child shall have been born, shall, within Forty-two Days next after the Day of every such Birth, give Information, upon being requested so to do, to the said Registrar, according to the best of his or her Knowledge and Belief, of the several Particulars hereby required to be known and registered touching the Birth of such Child.  http://www.rootschat.com/links/0mvp/
Stan

[mareanna]

Ah, was it law then or am I wrong in thinking that in order to have the father's name on the certificate, he has to be present at the registry?  I am guessing he was not present at the birth so he could not register the event.  If so that explains it ...

Thank you

mareanna

[stanmapstone]

Between 1837 and 1874 if the mother informed a registrar of an illegitimate child's birth and also stated a father's name, the registrar could record him as the father, although he may not have actually been the father.
This applied until The Registration Act of 1874 which stated:
"The putative father of an illegitimate child cannot be required as father to give information respecting the birth. The name, surname and occupation of the putative father of an illegitimate child must not be entered except at the joint request of the father and mother; in which case both the father and mother must sign the entry as informants" The Act came into force on 1st January 1875.

Stan