Genealogy Chat

If a child has no Father named on their Birth Certificate, who would be named on their Marriage Certificate? The Mother? A Step Father? Or would that be left blank as well?

Think it is usually left blank just a line through the one I have this was in 1883. Though he was brought up by a step father and used the step fathers name till he married. Germaine x

I have had the names of adoptive fathers put on a couple of my marriage certificates even though there was no legally arranged adoptions. John

That's interesting, thank you. I know that her Mother married one year after she was born, but she appears with her Grandmother and Aunt on the 1901 census, aged 3, so I don't think it was her Father that she married.

Sometimes a stepfather, grandfather or uncle is named, even on occasions a non-existent person, simply to disguise illegitimacy, so always be aware that details on certificates are not always the true facts. Jennifer

Good point Jennifer....hard to know what you can and can't believe isn't it?

Sue, I have also come across quite a few cases where the father's name on the marriage certificate seems to be made up of the biological father's first name and the mother's surname, making it seem as though the child's parents were married. (For example, if John Smith was illegitimate and his mother was Mary Smith, but he knew his father's name was William Brown, his father's name on his marriage certificate might say William Smith!) Kate.

Hello, I have seen two cases where the father was named on the marriage certificate. In both cases this was a child who was born out of wedlock but the father went on to marry the mother, so the person did know their father, but he just didn't have carry his surname and had the mother's maiden name instead. A first child to a couple was often born out of wedlock. Cheers, Horatia

I've this problem, One of my rellies (Ann Johnson) has no father on her marriage cert, and mother isn't named. However, one of her daughters is called Sarah Johnson Hedley, so I assume that the mother's name was Sarah Johnson In the next generation there is a Sarah Johnson Hedley also. Trouble is, I can't find much about Sarah Johnson senior! Anne

I have a male relative with no father on his birth certificate and a fictious father entered on the marriage certificate. I know it is a made up name as it comprises of his mothers maiden name as Christian name and his stepfathers surname.

Thanks for answering everyone. My ancestor had her Mother's maiden name as her surname when she married, and her mother died when she was a child. I'm told by family that she was then brought up by her Aunt, so I can't see her naming her Mother's Husband on the marriage certificate. It will be interesting to see what is on there, roll on pay day so I can order some more!

I was looking through some parish records yesterday and several of the baptisms showed illegitimate children (variously described as ill., base born or bastard) but some of them had a 'reputed father' named. Might be worth a look if you can get hold of the records. Maz. XX

Thanks for that tip Maz, they lived locally, so that's worth a try. Sue

When my grandmother was born her mother was single and no name for the father on the birth certificate. My great grandmother then went on to marry someone else. When my grandmother married there is a name in the fathers space that wasn't her step father but with her mother's maiden surname.

One of mine showed an odd middle name on birth certificate (Ann Moscrop NASH) - and no father. On Marriage cert she used a double-barrelled name (Ann MOSSCROP NASH) and named her father - Thomas MOSSCROP NASH - deceased by then. Perhaps if he'd not died she would not have named him ... It all happened 1848-1869. Family story matched it though - 'her mother married a chap who had always been sweet on her and brought up the child as his own. They went on to have 4 more children.' (My mother said - before she died - that she could not remember the name of the father but she recalled it was a double-barreled name one of which began with an M.) I think odd middle names at birth are a big clue ... Jill

I have a marriage in the early 1900s. Mother's name is given in section for the groom's father's name and the mother is also a witness. The father was still alive and married to the mother and therefore I can only guess that there was a 'domestic' and the father was disowned! Chris