Registered under two surnames

[Dundee]

It was too early for the 1926 Legitimacy Act. 

Debra 

[cstevens21]

So why? He was 16 in 1923 so may have needed for work purposes to be ‘legal’. But do we think a man would give his name if wasn’t his real father? I don’t know if this is proof or something ‘nice’ they did. They still didn’t refer to him as a ‘son’ or so family history says. ?

[KGarrad]

From 1874 a father's name could only appear on a birth certificate if:
he was the husband of the mother,
or gave permission AND he was present at the registration

[cstevens21]

Thank you. That gives more questions. Father is unknown on cert. But I think not registered until 1923 (born 1907) and ‘parents’ marriage took place 1911.  I just don’t know why John Bywater gave him his name?

[cstevens21]

Sorry am I being silly - was Leslie ever registered in 1907? And as what name? Am questioning myself now - with this ‘re-registration’. I thought was just not done and done in 1923? Thank you all

[Girl Guide]

This is what appears on free bmd

Births Jun 1907   
Bywater    Leslie        Islington    1b   ___    
BYWATER    Leslie        Islington    1b   Sep23

As you can see no page number and a reference to the September quarter of 1923

KGarrad has already given you the information about the 1923 entry at Reply#8.

[Girl Guide]

The 1923 entry on the GRO website doesn't give the mother's maiden name for some reason.

BYWATER, LESLIE          
GRO Reference: 1923  S Quarter in ISLINGTON  Volume 01B  Page 461

It can be ordered as a certificate.

Find My Past does have the mother's maiden name which is Gadsby.

[arthurk]

The 1923 entry on the GRO website doesn't give the mother's maiden name for some reason.

Actually it does. The latest batch of entries to appear on the GRO site don't show a mother's maiden name unless you include it as part of the search. So if you add Gadsby to the relevant box, it appears in the results as well - along with 19 other male Bywaters in 1923 whose mothers weren't called Gadsby.

This makes the site less useful for speculative searching, though if you already know the maiden name, it won't make a lot of difference. Presumably there's some reason for this change, but I don't know what it is.

[Girl Guide]

Okay, thanks for that Arthurk.