Genealogy Chat

Only a DNA between half siblings will confirm any connection to the lodger,
as at present there isnt a father to research.

It may be that the lodger left a Will naming the children.
We have a Will where a man left money to his ..' natural son Thomas Davis'...although the deceased had a different surname.


Gwyn

Thanks to Kathryn & Det, we are going to see if we can find a baptism, and then go from there.

If you were able to find a baptism for the friend's father, there is a chance that his birth father is mentioned along the lines of 'presumed' or 'declared'. It would depend on the clergyman concerned.

I agree that you shouldn't assume the lodger was also your friend's birth grandfather.

It's tricky. The deceased first husband can clearly not be the natural father, and nor did he have any significant role in bringing the child up (what with being dead...), however he was the father of any (half) siblings. You can't be sure about the lodger having fathered your friends father, however again, it does seem likely that he did father the other subsequent half sibling. So you could follow both or none, it's up to your friend really. Either way each line will only be partially related to your friends father.

Kate x

Hi, I am helping a friend research her family tree, and we have hit a stumbling block. Her father doesn't have a named father on his birth certificate. His Mum was married, but her husband died 18 months before the baby was born !!!! She also had another child a couple of years later and the lodger's surname has been used as his middle name. If the lodger was the father, do we follow the lodgers line or the line of his deceased father ???? We really need some help with this one.