Checking you have the correct person

[Marytm]

I know this is probably a huge subject, but what is the best way to check you have the correct person on your tree?
 If I have a Birth certificate with a Father's name on. If a person is the right sort of age, in the right area ?
Can I check anything else? The person didn't marry my relation but they had a child.
I can't find much on other peoples trees on ancestry.
Marytm

[iolaus]

profession is also on the birth certificate and may help confirm

[groom]

Birth certificate will also give mother's maiden name. What sort of dates are we looking at - can you find them in the censuses or the 1939 register?

[Pennines]

From your message I am taking it that the person concerned was the father of an illegitimate child - but appears on the child's birth certificate -- is that correct?

If that is so - you must only have a name and an occupation - maybe an address. So presumably no age.

It depends when this occurred -- the mother may have taken out an 'affiliation order' against the father, which may be held at the local Archives. If it is likely to be held there, search under the mother's name.

However I am conscious that I may have misunderstood your query in which case my reply will be total rubbish (and many others will say -- no change there then!!)

[Marytm]

Yes illegitimate child born in 1914. I know it could be a made up name. The ladies husband died in 1911 but was named as Dad on the child's wedding cert. The name on the birth cert is the same surname Handley as the Mum's first husband so could be related but not a brother .
Marytm

[Pennines]

Have you found a baptism for the child please? If so does that have the same father's name as on the birth cert?

Did the mother remarry? If so, did her groom have the same christian name as the Handley named as father on the birth cert - although a different surname?

Is there a Handley of the same name as the declared father in WW1 records?
Is there one on 1911 census with the same occupation as that given for the father on the birth cert?

I can appreciate though, that the Mother may just have used 'Handley' as the father's surname to save face -- and you may never know the father's identity.

[groom]

Just to check I'm understanding you correctly., was the mother's surname Handley on the birth certificate? If so I'd think that she didn't let on that she was a widow when she registered the birth, so her married name, and presumably the child's surname, was put for the father, but perhaps she gave a different first name, which may have been that of the real father.

[Ruskie]

As her surname was Handley, the child would be given this surname, unless the father was present when the birth was registered and admitted being the father of the child. As she was Mrs Handley, perhaps it was assumed that the father was Mr Handley, either by error of the registrar, or through intentional deception by the mother.

[Marytm]

Interesting. The Mum did remarry but not until 8 yrs later to a Harry Peake so I don't think he was connected. But the Birth Cert says the Father's name is William Frederick Handley .She was originally married to a Arnold Samuel Handley. I wonder whether his name is William Frederick ? Rather than Handley?
Marytm