Genealogy Chat

My nan had her first child six years before she married my grandad and she put down her name as married with a 'formerly' and the fathers name as my grandad's brother, who was dead !! She then pitches up as a spinster on her wedding cert to my grandad !! The family are convinced that the eldest child didn't actually belong to my grandad at all. I have a Horatio Nelson Lay in my tree, and a child has the father's name as L Horation Nelson on the birth cert with the mother as Emma...................(but not Hamilton) LOL! Jeanne

Matthew - my great great Grandparents had their first child out of wedlock - but The mother is listed as Mary Ann Tyrer formally Johnson on her daughter's birth certificate & they didn't get married for another 18 months after that

Best option I can think of would be to track down the local Parish Registers and see if the baby was baptised. Apart from the fact that the baptism entry just MIGHT have some sort of clue....you would also be able to see if they had other children baptised at the same place. I wonder if you looked at the electoral roll for the Dobson Buildings for the spell after the 1901 census, whether you might get a clue from there too? Only adult males wouls be shown, but if they were young, they might be living with relatives. Merry

Thanks Jean I will look into that. One suggest that was made was they weren't married. Would someone put their 'married' name down on a birth certificate and quote their maiden name? Thanks again!

Elaine I haven't managed to find them together on the census as William Thompson seems to be quite a common name. Plus I cannot say with any certainty that they were from the North East of England.

Thanks Merry at least I know where they weren't living! I had found the same William age 14 and thought that he might have been a bit young. We haven't got a clue as to whether the daughter Emily was eldest, youngest or only child at the moment. Once again thanks

I used Family Relatives to search for births 1911Q3 - 1920 surname Thompson mum's maiden name Stevenson or Stephenson in Sedgefield District. Results - None. Merry

Do you have any family knowledge of Emily??? Do you know if she came from a big/small family.....was eldest/youngest etc? Merry

There's a William Thompson living a few doors away (about four pages back from Dobson's Buildings) but he's only 14! Merry

I've found 8 Dobson's Buildings on the 1901 census: Hary Hunter abt 1880 Spennymoor, Durham, England Son Low Spennymoor Durham Thomas G Hunter abt 1854 Coxhoe, Durham, England Head Low Spennymoor Durham So, on the face of it, at least, that's no help at all!! Merry

Have you found them together on the 1901 census? Do you know when their first child was born?

I have received my husband's grandmother's birth certificate Emily Thompson born 26 July 1902 The registration district is Sedgefield sub district Cornforth which I am assuming was in County Durham. Her parents names were William Thompson and Mary Thompson nee Stephenson Address 8 Dobson Buildings Low Spenney Moor Father's occupation Coalminer Ferry Hill. Registered 1Sept 1902. All great but now I can't find a marriage date for William and Mary can anyone give any suggestions as to how to get round this brick wall