Unmarried mother on birth registration

[Davedrave]

I wonder how the birth registration index entry post 1911 in the U.K. of a child born to an unmarried mother would record the mother’s name? (The only birth registration index entry I have seen of a child born to an unmarried mother records only the mother’s name, but it dates from 1910 before the practice of including maiden name began). If the surname of a child in 1929 is the same as the name in the mother’s maiden name column, is that likely to be an illegitimate birth (independent evidence suggests it probably was).

[bibliotaphist]

Generally, the mother's maiden name and the surname under which the birth is indexed will be identical, i.e. the surname will appear twice.

Example from FreeBMD:
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=uCMrXionCg4o%2Fy%2FYI9rLDQ&scan=1

If I'm correct this is true up to (?)1965(?) when the format of the birth register changed and the current long-format certificate form started to be used, after this point the child's surname(s) began to be explicitly stated on the certificate rather than being inferred from the parents' surname(s), so you get more examples of the birth being indexed under other surnames, sometimes both the mother's and the natural father's surname.

So if the surname of a child in 1929 is the same as the name in the mother’s maiden name column, that is likely to show either be an illegitimate birth, or that the mother's maiden name and the father's surname were identical i.e. Smith married Smith.

[Davedrave]

Thank you for the clarification. It therefore seems that apart from the initial of the middle name of the child not matching what I’d expect, everything else would suggest that I’ve found the birth record I’m looking for.

Dave

[KGarrad]

Mother's Maiden Name now appears on almost all entries on the GRO Index Search, 1837-1916

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp

You have to register, but the Index Search is free to use.

[suzard]

also if the  child was born to an unmarried mother  but the father attended the registration then his name could be entered too
Also if the father (more recent times) decided to add his name at a later date (often if the parents married after the birth reg) he could add his name before the child was aged 11 - the original registration would stay but a note would be made on the index to see a later date

Suz

[macwil]

It is a little known fact but parents of an illegitimate child are required by law to re-register the birth if they later marry.

"If the parents have married after the child was born, they are required to re-register the birth to have the natural father’s details added to the birth record." from Re-register Illegitimate Child

Added This may also be of interest;- add the natural fathers details even if they don't subsequently marry.

[JohninSussex]

It is a little known fact but parents of an illegitimate child are required by law to re-register the birth if they later marry.

"If the parents have married after the child was born, they are required to re-register the birth to have the natural father’s details added to the birth record." from Re-register Illegitimate Child

There is no such thing as an illegitimate child.

That unpleasant term was removed from the law more than a quarter century ago.  You have given an incorrect and inappropriate name to an official web page which is actually called Application to re-register a child’s birth following marriage of natural parents

[suzard]

It is a little known fact but parents of an illegitimate child are required by law to re-register the birth if they later marry.

I don't think it is law - but the parents or father can apply to have their name added

in our family we have a child who was born 30 years ago and the parents married when the child was 2 years old but the father didn't have his name added until the child was 10 years old and then it was at his request but the mother (as I was told by both parents)also had to agree to it being added as the new registration  - note new registration - but the original registration is not removed from the records

Suz

[Guy Etchells]

It is a little known fact but parents of an illegitimate child are required by law to re-register the birth if they later marry.

"If the parents have married after the child was born, they are required to re-register the birth to have the natural father’s details added to the birth record." from Re-register Illegitimate Child

Added This may also be of interest;- add the natural fathers details even if they don't subsequently marry.

Sorry but you are wrong parents are not required by law to re-register the birth of their illegitimate children
Unfortunately what you have quoted is not the legislation but simply the office policy for re-registering the birth of illegitimate children laid out by the Passport Office, if the parents wish to re-register their illegitimate children.

The legislation is shown here for the Legitimacy Act, 1926.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01n3m/

and here for the Legitimation (Re-registration of Birth) Act, 1957.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01n3n/

the Legitimacy Act 1976
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01n3p/

Cheers
Guy

P.S. The Church tried to change the law in 1235 to allow bastards (probably the term Johninsussex alludes to as having been dropped from legislation) to be recognised as legitimate.
Guy