Master of a Trading vessel

[Jemart]

Hi can anybody please help me with a mystery. My Great Great Grandmother Julia Eggleston was born March 1843, on her birth certificate it says her father Mathias Eggleston was a Master of a trading vessel, her mother Esther Eggleston formerly Eggleston which is strange to me. The next I know of Julia is that she is living with her Uncle and his wife. Her mother remarried and had more children including naming one Julia, I don’t think she ever saw my Gt Gt Grandmother again, which seems to me that there was something shameful about Julia’s birth, I wonder if Mathias and Esther were related and brought shame to the family. I cannot find anything about Mathias I wonder if anybody could help me?

[Radcliff]

on Esthers marriage it states she is a spinster, I suspect that she named Mathias Eggleston to cover up the fact her daughter was born out of wedlock, perhaps Mathias was the father but doubtful he was an Eggleston or you would have found him by now

[Jemart]

Thanks for the information. Is there any way I could find Mathias?

[jomcd967]

There is an Esther Eggelstone, 27, female servant in St Pancras in 1841.

She appears to be the Esther Eggelstone b 1813, d/o William (shoemaker) & Mary. She then marries William Wyatt Sawyer in 1846.

Interestingly, there is also an Esther Eaglestone marrying a John Reed in 1841, also a spinster, also with a father William Eaglestone, although he is a labourer.

Even with the discrepancies the signatures are remarkably similar?

If Esther remarried/married either of the above gentlemen, there is no reason to believe that she didn’t still have a relationship with Julia. Julia is with family while Esther is a live-in servant in 1841, and then Julia appears to be a live-in servant in 1851.

The fact that Julia is with family would more likely indicate to me that they were still close.

Mathias seems to be imaginary 

Jo 

[PurdeyB]

Thanks for the information. Is there any way I could find Mathias?

Certificates for masters weren't introduced until 1845 and weren't compulsory until 1850 for foreign trade and 1854 for home trade.

https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/research-guides/research-guide-c2-merchant-navy-tracing-people-master-mariners-mates

If Mathias's surname is correct you might find his seaman's record.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/merchant-seamen-registers-1835-1857/

A scenario that seems possible to me is that Mathias was a seaman between voyages or on shore leave and told Esther he was a master to impress her, leaving her with Julia 9 months later.

[Maiden Stone]

The next I know of Julia is that she is living with her Uncle and his wife. Her mother remarried and had more children including naming one Julia, I don’t think she ever saw my Gt Gt Grandmother again, which seems to me that there was something shameful about Julia’s birth,

Do you mean that the next record you found for Julia is of her on a census return with her uncle? A census return listed every person who spent census night in that household. What was Julia's relationship to head of household on the census?  It's speculation whether a niece of the head of household lived there permanently or temporarily or was staying for a short while or only spent that particular Sunday night there. A census return in England recorded only who was present on 1 night in 10 years. 
A GGF of mine + his sister were illegitimate. They named a fictional father on their marriage certificates. They seem to have been brought up by their grandmother & her 2nd husband. Step-grandfather's forename was used as part of their made-up father's name. A census taken when they were children recorded them with their step-grandfather's surname + relationship as his son & daughter. They reverted to their correct surname and relationships on censuses after step-GF's death. Their mother married a man who couldn't have been their father. 1st son of the marriage was given the same name as his elder half-brother, the name of their maternal GF. The 2 households lived near each other in a small town; 4 generations of the family occupied 3 houses in 1 short street for a time. Elder John was a witness at his half-brother's wedding.
Some single women gave the name of their father or another relative as a baby's father when they registered a birth. Some combined the real father's forename + their own surname.
I've wasted time searching for made-up fathers.