Eliza Jane Barnett

[angela bengree]

Hi , this lady was my great grandmother. She had 3 children out of wedlock, Esther, Ralph and Frances. Frances was my grandmother. Can anybody shed any light on who their father was?
Many thanks.

[avm228]

Hi and welcome

When and where did Eliza live, and do you have (even approximate) birthdates & birthplaces for her three children?  If any are still living you'll need to remove their names in accordance with Rootschat's rules.

It is often impossible to identify fathers of illegitimate children, but if you can tell us what you know we can try to help you in your research.

[lizdb]

Hi and a warm welcome to Rootschat

Unless Eliza names the father(s) on any surviving document (birth cert or christening in parish register being the most likely) then you will never know who it (they) was (were).

What dates are we talking? Is there a "father" around on any census, if it is long enough ago to be in census era? Do any of them name a father on their marriage certs when they marry? This may of course be either a made up name, or may be just the person who they looked on as a father figure, maybe a step father, rather than their biological father.

[ciderdrinker]

I think I have them in Northants with her parents James and Emma.
1891 Newton Bromswold
Eliza Jane 25 dressmaker Hargrave
Ralph William 4 Hargrave
Esther Harriet 5mths Barnwell lodge
In 1901 the eldest are still with their grandparents but Frances born 1895 Knotting Bedfordshire is with her mother Eliza J Hale 33 wife of John G Hale 24 from Knotting Bedfordshire at Knotting.Their son Charles Hale age 4mths.
So it's either going to be the children's birth certificates,baptisms or possibly Poor law for the 3 parishes of Hargrave,Barnwell Lodge and Knotting.
Frances married 26.7.1921 at Knotting which may have more,Esther Sept 1915 and Ralph Sept 1912 at Bedford.
Ps checked Ralph William's baptism 24.10.1886 and Hester Harriet 24.10.1892 Kettering  no father.
Ciderdrinker

[avm228]

Yes I see.

Baptism for Ralph William Barnett, mother Eliza: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NYMK-PS3

[ciderdrinker]

Frances Emma 21.4.1895 at Kettering on Familysearch and no father there
Ciderdrinker

[angela bengree]

Thank you for your replies. Eliza lived in Knotting, Souldrop and Northamptonshire and had these children in 1886 (Ralph William),1890 (Esther Harriett) and finally my grandmother Frances in 1894. When I received her birth certificate her name was documented as Frances Emma Measures Barnett. Although I have searched, I cannot find any reference to a 'Measures' associated with the Barnett family. I have, however, found a Caleb Measures on the 1891 census living next door to the Barnett family.

[lizdb]

So maybe, or maybe not, Caleb was the father?
Or maybe nothing was further from Calebs mind, but they had a rellie, also with surname Measures, who was visiting at some point and did not have such pure morals as Caleb may (or may not) have done?
Or maybe the Measures were very good supportive friends and neighbours of Eliza's at a difficult time, maybe chosen as godparents, so she called her daughter after them.

We will never know.

[seahall]

Hi.

angela bengree welcome to Rootschat. 

This doesn't help solve the question but the information is from the
original Baptism Register for Hargrave.

Hargrave P.C.

Pg. 87, No. 693
Oct 24 1886 (Born Sept 4th 1886) Ralph William son of Eliza Barnett, servant unmarried
and in right hand margin Left Har.

Sandy