Genealogy Chat

This is so common that I am fairly sure that kindly Registrars suggested this practice. The father of an illegitimate child could not be shown on the cert unless he turned up with the mother to register the birth. Faced with a pretty, weeping young mother, I am sure the Registrar suggested she give the father's surname as a second given name, thus declaring to the world that she might be unmarried, but she DID know who the father was. OC

There were quite a few people with that surname on the 51 census. I would guess it's the surname of the father. Margaret

Well you could try the birth certificate. At that early date I think they still let the mother put the father down without his permission! I have seen one certificate which has been officially altered by crossing out the father's name and adding the little reference number they do for alterations. The joke is you can still clearly see the name!!!! Also you could scour the area in which the child was born for a chap with the surname Northeast. Its relatively uncommon so you might be lucky, although you'd have no proof. Anne

Well Dad never appears - and eventually mum marries late and does not have any more children ( just stepchildren) Suppoae I could appy for the birth certificate but I wonder if it would give dad'd name ?

I have one in my tree similar. The child was baptised Anne Peck Oliver about a month before Rose Oliver married Albert Peck! I would say it was a very pointed clue as to where to look for the father! Anne

I have a relative called Mary Northeast Rosebrook born 1848. The surname is her mother's maiden nasme as it seems she was not married - anyone got any idea why she may have been given this odd middle name?

Could it be a surname? Of another relative maybe, or maybe even the father? I've found a lot of what I thought to be 'odd' middle names were in fact surnames, always a possibility. Good luck with your search Laura x