Genealogy Chat

Hi Bernard, Interesting reading your response and sad to. It is amazing what guilt some people have been made to live with. I was told that the preist or vicar always made the mother reveal the fathers name for the baptism record. The problem comes trying to obtain the record. It is difficult if you do not live in the respective area. Regards Flick

Bernard that's not quite right. Before 1875 women could name the father on the cert ( probably sometimes wrongly) the law since then was that the fathers name could only be entered if he agreed and attended the registration.( Anyone at war could not attend ) this is still the law today. A "statutory declaration" as to parentage can be made but not sure when that came in. In order to recieve parish support the women had to name the father to allow recovery of funds from him. This can show the father where there is no other evidence. Bob

Hi Flick, My grandmothers first son was illegitimate with no father's name of the birth certificate. However, his middle name was a surname, which I believe was her way of naming the father. However, I've just received my Gt Gt Grandfather's marriage certificate and he gave his father's name with an entirely different surname from his own. Does this mean that he was illegitimate? I'm now totally confused! Kathy

Hi Flick, I would say that in this case illegitimate means that the person whose certificate it is was born out of wedlock. Don't forget that years ago in this country there were bastardy courts in many places and if a single girl would not name the father of her child, she would be subject to all kinds of punishment and humiliation. In many country areas she would be stood in front of the church congregation and reduced to tears. When it came to registering an illegitimate birth, the father's name was not allowed to be shown on a birth ceretificate, it was usually left blank or marked with a dash. My Dad was illegitimate, my Gran was expecting him when war broke out in 1914 and her fiancee was on the Army Reserve. He was immediately called up and landed in France in August 1914. He fought at Mons, Le Cateau and the First Battle of Ypres. He was not allowed any leave to go home and marry Gran and was unfortunately killed in action in June 1915. When my Dad was born late 1914, Gran was not allowed to put the father's name on the Birth Certificate, despite the fact he was a soldier fighting, (and later dying), for his country. And some people still believe in 'the good old days' !!!!!!!!!! Today's generation may be more open about relationships, but at least they are not hypocritical.

On my gt gt grandmother's birth cert there is nothing at all in the father's column, not even a line through. On her wedding cert for father it says "illegitimate daughter of Susan Barnes". Nell

Hi, Not used this relpy way before so hopefully I have done so correctly. Thank you for your quick responses. I think Bob might be right about the father. I think Joseph's mother may have married him later as (if I have the correct family) another son appears on Joseph's marraige cert. It is causing me a lot of headaches trying to find Joseph's birth cert. Until I get this I cannot confirm his mother. If the father mentioned is the step father though I am in for some more headaches! Thanks again to all Regards Flick

Thats a new one Margaret seem like anything goes. It 's better than nothing! Bob

Hi Flick I received a marriage certificate of a man whom was illegitimate and in the space for his fathers name was his mothers name which surpised me regards Margaret

They don't usually put illegitimate on the cert it is usually blank or can contain fathers name married or not. Sometimes step fathers are entered ( who can be the true father!). Bob

Not a silly question at all. I have been doing this on and off for over 20 years and have never come across that before. I have just looked on father in law`s marriage certificate, as I know he was illegitimate, and in the father column there is just a stroke written through it. If it does state the word illegitimate, then it would refer to the person getting married, indicating that he or she had no father.

This may sound a silly question but can someone confirm this for me. On a marriage cert. under the father's name is has (illegitimate). I asume this means the son is illegitimate. Am I correct in assuming this? Regards Flick