Which one is he?

[blueva]

A family secret is a little clearer but! My grandmother Nellie Travis born 14 Dec 1901 Ashton under lynn was never married therefore my father Samuel Travis 19 July 1923 AUL has no fathers name on birth certificate but the name of William Norton has been given to me many years ago the only other information was that he died of TB. The other day I found banns for these two people at St James church AUL April 22,29 and May 6 in the last column was Lapsed so they did not marry can I find out any further information as to reason or ages or address? I was so pleased that it has been proven he is the man but now stuck as how to progress.
Thanks for reading my problem and hope someone out there has a solution.

[iluleah]

I was so pleased that it has been proven he is the man but now stuck as how to progress.

Not sure why you think you have proven it as it is something you can't prove with no record proof ( or DNA now) it is more like a likely assumption.

William Norton... take the name and research it same as you would do any other, you can estimate the rough age of the person, likely to know roughly which county... freebmd index is a good start, 1901/1911 census and start to build up a picture of who he was, if he died, married someone else, job etc

[blueva]

Hi
Because they were going to be married she was pregnant with my Dad seems likely that he was the man . This is the first time I have linked them together legally even though they didn't marry.
Thanks for your interest.

[avm228]

You haven’t said which year the banns were called in - was it 1923?  I presume so as you’ve now added that it was when she was pregnant.

[rosie99]

There isn't a death in Ashton that close to the marriage banns (1923) to justify stopping the wedding.  There are only two deaths in the years following, age wise the latter is more likely.

Deaths Mar 1928 
Norton    William W    53    Ashton    8d   980    

Deaths Jun 1936 
Norton    William    36    Ashton    8d   770   

As you have been given the cause of his death maybe these death certificates are worth purchasing to maybe eliminate

[rosie99]

There is always the possibility he married someone else 

[heatherjulie]

Did Nellie have another son in 1929? If so, who was his father?

[blueva]

Hi heatherjulie
Yes Nellie had a further son Norman Travis in 1929 he was also missing a fathers name on birth certificate ,no help there
Thanks for your input

[josey]

This is the first time I have linked them together legally even though they didn't marry.

Sorry to say this but there is always the possibility that the marriage didn't go ahead because William found out he was not the father of the baby Nellie was carrying...

I would try looking for electoral rolls to see if Nellie & William ever lived together [although women didn't get the vote universally till 1928].