Date of birth record

[Mr.Brown.]

Hi - hope everyone is keeping well.
I wonder if anyone can help, I need to find the 1842 DOB of a chap called Alfred Henry Cookson who was the illegitimate son of a member of the Chester le street Cookson family but he is not registered.
He lived in Newbiggin by the sea and later Hirst where he died in 1920.
His whereabouts (and possible name) up until 1861 are a mystery, he may have been educated by the Cookson family incognito.
I am wondering if there will be a record of his DOB with the register of electors or his pension or anywhere else I could try? any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks, Gordon.

[Rosinish]

How do you know about Alfred Henry, what directed you to him?

I'm assuming you don't know who his mother was i.e. have you searched with forename only for birth/baptism & census'?

Can you also give details of whereabouts in 1861, where born & with who?

Annie

[Mr.Brown.]

Hi Annie, I have all his census records from 1861 when he was living with my 3Grrandfather (Thomas Brown) as a Grandson and then all his census records up until his death in 1920 and his grave etc. His mother may have been Ann daughter of this Thomas Brown, but I can not verify this.
I do have some DNA matches to other members of the Alfred Henry Cookson branches but have not been able to find any matches of them to the Chester le street Cookson family.
I have found a potential illegitimate son named David Brown of an Ann who fits into the Brown's location and this is why I want to cross reference the date of birth.
I have been looking into this for a few years and finding his DOB may be the key.
Gordon.

[rosie99]

I doubt without a birth certificate you will get a date of birth unless it has been mentioned on a baptism.

What information does his marriage give for his father if any

[rosie99]

Is this the person you are referring to
David Brown
Baptism 10 Mar 1842
Cresswell, Northumberland
Father John Gibson
Mother Ann Brown

[Mr.Brown.]

Hi - Yes that's the person Annie, I suspect could be Alfred Henry Cookson - I have the birth record with dob and that is why I am trying to compare it to AHC's birth date - he/they had 9 kids so there must be a record of it somewhere. I have not been able to find his marriage to  Margaret Armstrong either.
There are quite a few other people that have been looking into this but everyone draws a blank.
I know modern register of electors shows dob's of first time voters (18 year olds) but probably not back in 1860! if there was one.
I dont know if people had pensions in 1920 but no doubt would have had to prove their age if there was a pension.

[rosie99]

The baptism names his father as John Gibson. 

State pensions did not start until the early 1900's and many people who would have been entitled to them would not have had birth certificates.  Although birth registration started in 1837 it was not 'tightened up' until the late 1870's and many births were not registered before that time. 

TNA has this information sheet on voting
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/struggle_democracy/getting_vote.htm

[jonw65]

There is a David Gibson, 9, born Cresswell, with his grandparents in 1851
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGDN-PJH

Ditto 1861, he is 19, born Woodhorn
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7VG-XM5

Is he the David in Stannington later, a mason?

David and Elizabeth Gibson have a John Gibson, 25, with them in Cresswell in 1841
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7W6-61D

[Mr.Brown.]

hi - yes Ive just been reading up on when pensions began in 1909 to people over 70 on a low income so he may well have had a pension later in life.

I have found that sometimes a wealthy family arranged for the illegitimate childs mother to be married off to someone that would look after them and likewise the named father of John Gibson may have just been a stand in at the baptism.
I know its all a bit vague but there are no other records so something has been going on and covered up.