Father unknown, is this a dead end?

[lindamaker]

My father Arthur George Hughes b. 1921 in Hay, Ross on Wye, (now deceased) he did not have a father named on his birth cert, does this mean a dead end in finding his family?

[Alexander.]

Hi and welcome.

It will be difficult, but not impossible, to identify his father. There will most likely be no paper trail for your father's father, so you will have to look outside conventional genealogy techniques.

One route you could try is DNA testing. From your user name (linda...) I assume you are female? If you have a brother whose DNA you could test, a Y-DNA test would be perfect. Y-DNA is passed from father to son, therefore, if you could match your father's Y-DNA (from his son) to another family it may be very possible to identify candidates for his father. If you do not have a brother, you could also test your autosomal DNA. Since half of your DNA came from your father, if you found a match using autosomal DNA that wasn't on your paternal grandmother or mother's side, you know it had to be on your unknown paternal grandfather's side. If you are interested in pursuing this option we can direct you to some good genetic genealogy sites.

Alexander

[garstonite]

My father Arthur George Hughes b. 1921 in Hay, Ross on Wye, (now deceased) he did not have a father named on his birth cert, does this mean a dead end in finding his family?

I was lucky enough to find a bastardy order for my g grandmother - Not sure where you would look for Herefordshire - maybe somebody can advise you .......

[Ruskie]

Christening records sometimes name the father, though I'm unsure if that still happened in the 20's.

[KGarrad]

Welcome to RootsChat!

Herefordshire Archives might hold Bastardy Bonds?
https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/archives/

The baptism in the parish records might be the way to go?
For a father to be named on the birth certificate, he not only had to give consent, but he also had to be present at the registration!
A parish priest wasn't so fussy!

Did your father name a father on his marriage certificate?

[Ladyhawk]

Did your father name a father on his marriage certificate?

Just about to ask the same question 

Who witnessed the marriage?

Do you know of any siblings for Arthur George Hughes? If he did have siblings you could check their b/c

Is his mother's maiden name Hughes on his birth certificate or a different name?

The only birth entry I’m seeing on FreeBMD for 1921 Hay is for

Arthur Hughes  Mar qtr. 1921 Hay mother’s maiden name JONES

there is a much later birth entry 1942 Hay for a female M E Hughes mmn Jones 

[mazi]

I do not know of a Hay near Ross on Wye, Hay registrations are a long way from ross on wye

[mazi]

there is a birth in Monmouth reg. district in 1921 also, which could be closer to ross on wye.

forget that, William Edmonds married a Hughes in 1920  Chepstow

[Annette7]

Ross on Wye birth registrations come under Ross registration district.

The only one in 1921 is a Clifford K.E. who does appear to be illegitimate as mothers maiden name also Hughes but no AGH at Ross until 1935 and not illegitimate.

Something not right here.

Annette