Genealogy Chat

Hi all. I have got used to the ins & outs of BMD + census. Now I want to tackle the other stuff you all keep mentioning...... In basic terms, how do I find baptism records (also bastardy bonds?). I have an ancestor with no father on birth cert.,so I'm hoping to find a little more info.

The local records office for the area the child was baptised. The staff are usually great. Sometimes on a baptism cert, the vicar made notes in the margin about the absent father's name, and quite often the child was given the fathers surname as a middle name. If, say,the child was born 1842, you could see where its mother was on the 1841 census (ie, when the child was conceived, approximately). If she was working as, say, a servant girl, it'spossible another member of staff could be the father. (Or even the Lord of the house himself!)

thanks, Rebekah. Will it be a prob with a London district- I've read on here they're not so helpful? I'm hoping for the 'middle name' connection. Mother was a shop assistant, but I've only got the address not the shop name....Although, of course family legend is that she was indeed a servant 'done wrong' by the master of the house!!! Sadly, birth was 1913, so a long time to check 1911 census! However, the notifier was the occupier of the birthplace house, a woman. her surname and the mothers are different, but in 1901 a woman of the occupiers name had a sister with the christian name of the mother-am I clutching at straws?

Basta\rdy BONDS had died out by 1840-ish. There may be something in the records of the Magistrates Court, if she took out a Maintenance Order against the father - but by this time there was no compulsio to do so and it was entirely up to her. OC

Thanks OC I can't find the mother at the moment under either possible name. Not sure why she would change her surname and then leave father blank, instead of fictionally dead, for the shame of it do you think? In addition, I was told the baby was adopted by her subsequent husband but there was no name change, so I'm not sure that implies there never was an official adoption? Ideas?

I have an illegitimate child on a family tree and the mother used the county where she lived (Wiltshire) as her 'maiden' name, registering the child with her proper surname making it look as though she was married.

OK, so I'm a bit stuck then! How to go about searching for the mother when all I've got is this birth cert. I can accept, baptism aside, I may never find the father's details, but should I guess the mother's age etc??