Genealogy Chat

I've been trying to help a friends daughter with her research and become completely stuck. If you have a birth, in 1898 with no father given on the birth, baptism or his marriage certificate have we come to the end of a fairly short road or has anyone any suggestions? Would be v.grateful. Teresa

If there is a middle name on the birth certificate it sometimes gives a clue to daddy. Otherwise I think you're b******d. Same broblem here, but on a 1921 birth on wife's direct line!

When this happens to me, I just carry on with the surname, albeit on the female side. My late husbands paternal grandmother had 3 children, including his father from 1915 to 1934 with no father listed, and although she died the 1990s she never told anyone who the fathers were, even if she actually knew. The male line comes to an end, but to me, that is no reason not to continue with the female line. Sometimes, the fathers can be traced through bastardy records, (the CSA of the day) but I have never gone into it yet.

HI my grandad was born in 1898 and there was no daddy on his birth certificate either I an just tracing his maternal line, because his mum must have been an amazing lady to keep her child in those days Linda P

Check the parish register for the birth. These sometime name the biological father. Jonathan

Diana If I understand you correct, then your gran and grandad's families will be entirely different anyway - so you wouldn't be wrong, just missing your grandad's side. As this is a fairly recent occurrence (in genealogical terms), is there someone in your living family who will know about your grandad's side? Jonathan

Thank you all, I can't see him on the 1901 census, and others have kindly looked on the 1891, with no luck there either, still under the circumstances, he may have been 'hidden'. I will pass on the parish records suggestion, we live in Bristol, where he was born. I have a similar problem with my own tree, my grandfather was 'adopted', no father on his birth certificate, but his mother did have more children with the man she married a couple of years later, and my parents recollection from long ago meetings with these siblings, implies that that man was also my grandfathers father, just can't find the siblings now to get their story. But I have continued with the name on his mothers side, I'm very happy with that, (still got a brick wall there though! but I keep trying) Teresa

I have had the same problem but in ne case was lucky enough to find a bastardy bond. Check with the local record office as to their holdings and fingers crossed!

I've got one like that, got birth cert, no father listed, appears on both 1891 and 1901 census. All I can do is wait until the 1911 census comes out - in 2012! Lisa