Genealogy Chat

What happens when there is no Father listed on either the marriage cert or birth cert? is that it? is there no way of discovering who the father is? My Nanna's father is not named on her birth or marriage cert. I have a feeling her mum (my great nanna) was very young at the time of her birth she worked as a servant/cook I have a name and address at the time of my nanna's birth but I have no idea how old my great nanna was at the time or where she came from and as I cant get hold of cencus after 1901 im well n truly stuck again lol. Nanna was born on 31st Oct 1912. Do ya think another trip to the local archive to look at electrol register will do me any good? Help please Luv Angie xxxx

No, not really - a female servant wouldnt have had the vote in 1911. What you could do, is try to find a baptism (may not have happened, of course, but sometimes the putative father is named). Or, look in Petty Sessions or Magistrate Courts in the area for a Maintenance Order. OC

I don't think your great nanna will be on the electoral roll for that date as women didn't have the vote then, and if she was very young, then wouldn't have been old enough even if women had the vote. You could look at parish records for your nanna's baptism, which sometimes shows the name of the father of an illegitimate child, but it's very unlikely. Most of us come across an illegitimate ancestor at some time and you just can't get any further back on that line. Kath. x

Thank u both very much xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mmmmmm trying to digest the info but im a bit slow today (usually always am lol) Where would I find the parish records are they online or at a church? also how do I find out about my great nanna? ive tried searching the census but with only a name to go on and nothing more its like a needle in a haystack as her name isnt at all rare. Ethel Dodd (mmmm now I know where nanna got the Ethel from the bad gurlie lol) I did try and search the archive a few weeks back for Dodd living in Nottingham in 1912 and only found 1 family of that name, but dont think there was a Ethel (and cant remember where I put the flipping notebook I wrote it all in grrrrrr) Thank u again xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I really appreciate your help xxx

On a couple of occasions when I've assumed that a blank space for father's name meant a dead end, I've subsequently come across circumstantial evidence attaching a particular name. I can't prove it, but it won't stop me doing a bit of out-of-interest research about that bit of possible family. I just make sure I've noted very clearly that the link is unproven. But I didn't go looking for the info. That sort of brick wall isn't usually brick - it's usually reinforced concrete! It's only if someone/something comes along with a genealogical Kango hammer, that you stand any chance there. Banging your head against it is a quick route to madness. Christine

The parish records will be at the County Record Office for the area concerned, or if you don't live close, you can order filmed parish records at your nearest LDS Family History Centre (addresses on www.familysearch.org). Kath. x

Angela,does your nan have middle name? My grt nan had two daughters before marridge, the first one was named Ada with a middle name of Barns, so i took it that was her way of getting dads name on birth cert. Gill

My great great gran was an illegitimate child There is a record in the Auchterarder church minutes at NAS where her mother was called before and interrogated by the church elders to give up the name of her father. Which she did thankfully. This event happened when my gg gran was almost 3 years old. Good Luck Debbie

I thought much the same when I found Trevenian Coode as middle names, and the birth was recorded as being in a beer house just around the corner from the family of a Cdr Trevenen Penrose Coode, RN! That's the correspondence I'm after. No proof, of course, but an intriguing possibility. Interestingly, the owner of those flamboyant middle names didn't tend to make much use of them later on. Christine

Angela My gt grandmother Ruth was illegitimate and the bastardy records for her parish haven't survived. On the other hand, I got a birth cert for an illegitimate child in my family born 1859 and it NAMES THE FATHER!! Mega excitement till I disovered that a) he died later the same year and b) he is impossible to identify on earlier censuses. Sometimes there are more questions than answers!