Genealogy Chat

I know from the 1881 census that Harriet Taylor's grand-father was John Taylor. On her marriage certificate her father is also listed as John Taylor. I've received her birth certificate today and the 'name of father' box is empty, so she was I suppose illegitimate. Do you think it's feasible that when she got married, and the time came to put the father's name on the register, that she simply gave her grandfather's name instead ? Simon

Yes, she signed the marriage certificate, and yes, she was named Harriet after her mother. I think it's possibly one of those mysteries that can probably never be answered, for definite. There were a fair few John Taylors around at the time, so if that was indeed the name her father there's really no way of knowing which one of them it was.

Hi I have a strong suspicion my great-great-grandfather was illegitimate, and I've had awful problems tracing his birth certificate; the only plausible one I have is from a workhouse with no father given. What really makes me think he was illegitimate, though, is the fact that, having married twice, he gives different names for his father on each certificate: I think he made them up. Could this be the case on your certificate? Another thing I have come across, in a different branch of my tree, is the grandparents bringing up the child as their own, and even having her baptised as such (pre-1837), and then she gave the real father's name on her marriage certificate... Lysianne

A Blank space dosn't always mean illegitimate. I found my greta grandfathers marriage certificate which had his fathers name as Thomas Feakes but when I got his birth cert the fathers name was blank but his mothers name was Sarah feakes nee Jones so i know she was married. I traced it back and Thomas married Sarah in 1849 but it looks like he died the month my ggrandfather was concieved so there is a great probability he was the father but just not registered for some bizzare reason.