13 year old giving birth? Family cover up? Elspeth Millar 1903

[BW252]

I have a family living in 4 North St, Glasgow.    Husband Adam Robson, partner Elspeth Millar.   They have 3 children together and are acknowledged as parents on BCs between 1899 and 1902.   However there is also a child born in 1903 same address, mother Elspeth, no father and birth registered by Mary Millar "sister".    The death cert is also registered by Mary and no father shown..    Mary was born in 1890 which would make her 13 IF she was in fact the mother.   Elspeth senior also died in 1903.   

Could Mary have been the mother at 13?
Could the family covered this up by allowing Mary herself to register both events
The cause of death was congenital debility

[CaroleW]

What was Elspeth’s cause of death?  If connected to childbirth - that could be your answer

Were the other children registered as Robson or Millar?

[BW252]

Hi CaroleW

thanks for the prompt reply.    Elspeth died in Aug 1903 tumour of the pelvis   Informant Adam, her partner, but shown as her brother.   All other children with Adam registered as Robson.    Elspeth had 3 other illegitimate children born between 1886 and 1895 Mary was one.

Harry

[mckha489]

Who registered the other children.
If Mary registered it she might have been more honest about the situation. Ie she knew they weren’t married,  she said so, so since Adam wasn’t with her he wasn’t entered on the birth cert.

[BW252]

Hi Mckha489

The 3 Robson children were registered by both Adam Robson and Elspeth Millar and yes I take your point thanks

[Viktoria]

It is sad but entirely possible for a 13 year old to have a baby.

Classic one was Margaret Beaufort ,mother of Henry VII,wife of Owen Tudor.
They were married when she was 12 as was the custom but it was also customary for time to elapse before they lived together.
 But that  was not so in this case.
She had a horrendous Labour and nearly died.
A girl at the local High School  was just 14 .
In third world countries it is very common,sadly,.
Viktoria.

[Creasegirl]

What was the date of birth for the baby and for elspeths death.

[Forfarian]

It's possible, but very rare. I think I would want to be sure there isn't another explanation why the birth was registered by Mary.

If the baby was hers, and the family wanted to pretend it was her mother's, the last thing they would do would be send her to register it.

What was the baby's date of birth, and what was Elspeth's date of death? There's no marriage on record in Scotland of Adam and Elspeth. Maybe he had walked out on Elspeth and (or because) the baby wasn't his?

The FindMyPast transcription of the 1901 census lists
Adam Robson, head, widower, 34, born Hawick
Janet Robson, daughter, 2, born Glasgow
Margaret Robson, daughter, 1, born Glasgow
Elspeth Miller, housekeeper, 34, born Galashiels
Andrew Miller, boarder, 15, born Kelso
Mary Miller, boarder, 11, born Galashiels
Nellie Miller, boarder, 5, born Galashiels

In 1891 there are
Adam Robson, head, 24, born Hawick
Marjory Robson, wife, 25, born Tillicoultry.

Adam Robson married Marjory Ure Hunter in Galashiels in 1890. Marjory Ure Hunter or Robson died in Glasgow in 1898, aged 31.

[Creasegirl]

If elspeth did have cancer of pelvis this could explain a baby that died of debility as could have been premature.  I also think if she had been ill then her daughter would basically had to run the house and look after family so that might have meant signing documents etc.  Also men wouldnt have got time off work and there were no benefits etc.