Illegitimate or not? No father on birth certificate

[MrsSelfPub]

Hello
Although I regularly use Ancestry and Find My Past, this is my first go on a forum of this kind so please forgive any transgressions or form and procedure - I will learn.

I need to know if anyone knows of any orphanages, children's homes, homes for unmarried mothers-to-be etc in South Stoneham, Hampshire around 1889.

Does anyone know what procedures were followed for unmarried mothers once they had given birth?

Does anyone have any experience of tracking illegitimate babies/children at this point in history?

I have other potential "evidence" and hunches that sort of tie up but not enough to consider it proof positive until I can track what happened to George Francis Bailey Maidment (1889-1940) in his early years.

The background:
I am trying to resolve the issue of a family rumour regarding my husband's maternal grandfather.  The tale goes that he was the illegitimate offspring of a high ranking British army officer and and Indian lady.  He was allegedly brought to the UK and sponsored through orphanages by the officer in question.  I have found him in the orphanage/boys home from about 1901 at the age of 12 but I am still trying to find the missing Indian link but keep drawing blanks.

I feel that his birth certificate is part of the key. No father is listed.  His mother is not associated historically with the area where the birth is registered (South Stoneham).  The birth is registered more than two months after the birth date given on the certificate.  The mother's name and address are in Wiltshire and it is stated "as per declaration dates 24th May 1889"  - ten days after the date of registration.  I lose track of the mother after this time and also of her son until 1901 though it seems he was transferred from a Catholic Boys home in London to the one that ties all the proven family links together in Shefford.

Any help or hunches would be gratefully received!

Thank you

[avm228]

First of all, welcome

So that we have the same information you have, can you tell us everything that appears on George's birth certificate?

Also, details of where you've found him in 1901?

[lisalucie]

Hi and welcome MrsSelfPub,

From my own experiences I'd say that he was illegitimate as there is no fathers name on the birth certificate - cannot shed any light on any of your other questions though but the rootschat lot are very helpful and I'm sure will come up with something for you.

Lisa

[MrsSelfPub]

Thank you for the reply and the welcome.  I am just trying to shrink the file I have of the scanned certificate so that it conforms to the 500KB limit.

Fingers crossed....

OK - removed now I have learned about the copyright issue

[CaroleW]

Hi and welcome from me.

You say his mothers address on the birth cert was Wiltshire - what was his mothers full name?

Does the birth cert say exactly where he was born (first main box on left of cert)

What birthplace is given for him on the 1901 entry you found

EDIT - full cert cannot be reproduced here due to copyright restrictions

[avm228]

Sorry, I should have been clearer that you need to transcribe rather than post the image for copyright reasons.

So:

Col 1: 14 March 1889 at Eastleigh South Stoneham RSD.
Col 2: George Francis Bailey
Col 3: Boy
Col 4: [Father's name & surname, empty]
Col 5: [Mother] Annie Maidment, domestic servant
Col 6: [Father's occupation, empty]
Col 7: [Informant] Annie Maidment. mother, West Tisbury Wilts as per declaration dated 24th May 1889
Col 8: [When registered] 25 May 1889
Col 9: [Registered by] William James Miller, registrar.

[Annette7]

The birth was actually registered more than 2 months after his birth - born 14th March but not registered until 25th May (with her declaration made the day before).

Annette

[MrsSelfPub]

Whoops - didn't realise about the copyright! Also trying to get a handle on how all your replies appear on my screen.  Thanks to everyone btw!

Oh yes - my error on the May 1889 date.

George turns up at St Francis Boys Home in Shefford, Bedfordshire in 1901 - just before the census so it was really helpful.  I tracked down some records online that the Beds council held and it has an entry record for him arriving in the home from a boys home in London run by a Father Emmanuel Bans.

Francis leaves the home in 1904 and then joins the army in 1908.

I have a link to the tree on Ancestry but my subscription has just lapsed and I am awaiting a decent discount offer before I renew it.  Hope this works: http://person.ancestry.co.uk/tree/68906486/person/42189469522/facts

[groom]

It's a very strange certificate isn't it? I wonder if the declaration had to be made as she was registering it late and in a different place to where he was born? It is also quite unusual for an illegitimate child to have a different name from the mother, they usually take her name.

I doubt if his birth was in India, as would there be time for him to be brought to England? Also if that is the case, the whole certificate is a lie!