Illegitimacy

[jamesar84]

Hi,

I've come to a dead end on my family tree, where i cannot trace the father of my Great Grandfather James Mclachlan (Born 1879 in Catrine).  His Mother was Martha Mclachlan born 1855 and died 1936.  I believe she was married a couple of times, however James Mclachlan and his brothers John and Robert Smith Mclachlan, were all born illegitimately - Mclachlan being the mother's name.

I've checked their birth certificates and no Father's name is mentioned.

They lived in Catrine which comes under the Sorn Parish.

Can anyone help with any information on this?

Thanks in advance

James

[conahy calling]

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=676682.msg5214347#msg5214347

Same family

[dagny]

I don't know that I have the answer for you but would love to know if there are options for this kind of problem.  I too have record of an illegitimate birth - for a "James" Patrick (whose name was apparently changed to Charles Patrick).  Only a mother is listed on his alleged birth record - no father.  So frustrating!  I made inquiry to a website called "Ayrshire Ancestors" for a fee but was told that Catrine Church Sessions did not start until 1871.  That is where illegitimate births would have been dealt with.  Most records in Catrine start after 1855.  I've reached a "dead" end, so to speak.    for my ancestor but you may have better luck with a resource like that, especially if you are not in Scotland, than I did since you are looking at a later date.  I think it amounted to about $20 (U.S.) to be a member of their site.  I then posted them my info and heard back pretty promptly - though it was not good news for me.

[JMStrachan]

With the introduction of civil birth certificates in Scotland in 1855, registrars were not allowed to put the father' name on the birth certificate of an illegitimate child unless the father attended the registration or gave written consent. The child also had to have the mother's surname on the birth certificate.

You could check the children's marriage certificates to see whether they name their father. Also follow them in the census to see whether they ever use another surname, or have a surname as their middle name. It was not unknown for a child to be registered with the mother's name but appear in the census with the father's surname. And illegitimate children often used the father's surname as a middle name.

Illegitimacy was investigated by the kirk session, but this was prior to 1845 when the church was responsible for taking care of the poor - the session wanted to know the father of an illegitimate child in case the child became a charge on the parish. After the Poor Law of 1845, the kirk was no longer responsible for administering relief payments to the poor and so was less inclined to chase up the parents of illegitimate children.

[dagny]

Thanks - that information was very interesting.  Unfortunately my Charles Patrick (recorded as James Patrick at birth) is only recorded as "Charles Patrick" on his marriage record, the birth records of his children, and his death record.  He never named his father so I don't think I'll ever know for sure.  Following the naming pattern that the Scots used, I would have thought his father's first name was "John" as that was the name of his first son.  Many of the children had middle names but I would really be guessing as to which of those names would have been his father's surname.  Well, some mysteries may not be solved I'm afraid