Genealogy Chat

Thanks for your replies. I'm guessing she was single because her maiden name is my grandad's name but I've learned not to assume too much. She married a couple of years later so when I see the certificate for that I should be able to confirm it. Rob

You say you are wondering if she was single or a widow. The birth cert would tell you that and also the entry in the GRO index would show her maiden name. Merry

It was quite common for lying-in hospitals (maternity hospitals) to have their own chapel and list of baptisms. Generally the records would have the date of the baptism, child's name, parents' names, possibly father's occupation and mother's maiden name and maybe an address. BUT as with any record, you don't know what will be on it until and unless you look. I don't suppose there will be anything extra to what the birth cert tells you, but you never know. Of course, by 1920, baptisms weren't as routine as they were earlier. It's possible the baby wasn't baptised in the hospital, but elsewhere. Maybe not baptised at all. nell

A father's name would be great but I doubt big time I'll get this. The mother's status maybe, was she a widow or just unmarried? Any clue why she was at that hospital - long way from where she lived. I don't know, really. Just whether there's likely to be any kind of snippet of information that might give me another avenue to search. Rob

Hi Robert, I have just obtained the church records for baptism for some of my rellies and they show the following... Date...Name...Mother & Father....Abode....Occupation Not a lot but better than nothing. Happy hunting Kathlyn

What do you want/expect to find over and above what's on the birth cert?

My grandad's parentage is proving a bit of a mystery which I'm trying to solve. I know now where he was born and apparantly the baptism records of the hospital for the time (1920) are available for viewing at the London Metroplitan Archives. His mum was an impoverished single mother and the hospital catered for the poor. In these circumstances was it normal for the children to be baptised at the time of birth at the hospital chapel? If so, can anyone tell me what these records show and are they likely to tell me anything that I don't already know from his birth certificate? Look forward to some advice. Rob