« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 13 September 23 12:12 BST (UK) »
I researched a family a few months back for a friend whose great grandmother was illegitimate. My friend's granny aged 95 knew nothing about her father other than he was possibly a cousin, with the birth causing a rift in the family. She knew little about her mother either, though she was brought up by an aunt. The GRO entry had the mother's maiden name as '-' but i suggested ordering the certificate just in case it contained anything useful. And it did! It actually named the father and his occupation, but it was all crossed out. And sure enough, they were first cousins, the mother having been living with her aunt and family (including the father) in the 1901 census a few months earlier. I can only surmise that the mother - who was 29 when her daughter was born - was asked about the father and gave the details, with the registrar assuming (given her age) that she was married so entered the details on the certificate before realising the situation. A rare occurrence i'm sure.
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....