Genealogy Chat

I have just realised that my ggg grandparents married in 1873, one year after the birth of my gg grandfather. This was the same as my father whose parents married 3 years after he was born (uncovered this secret only recently aswell!). In the case of the former, what would have been the protocol on the birth certificate in the C19th? I have found what I think is the birth record on 1837online but since the parents were not married would the child have taken the fathers name or could they have decided this? I think this is possible now but no sure about then... Although it's a very unusual name, I don't want to order the wrong certificate so any help would be appreciated.

Angela If your (is it) gr gr grandparents were living together I expect everyone thought and they told everyone that they were married. When registering a childs birth as far as I know you did not have to provide your marriage certificate (I expect someone can confirm this)so you could give it the fathers surname. I know that this worked in the last century because I know someone who did not know her parents were not married until just before her mother died and we are still trying to work out how she got a widows pension! Regards Gary

Angela As far as I know if a couple hadn't married and there was no certificate then the father had to be present at the registration for the child to be given his name. I'm sure someone will put me right if that's not so! Beryl, Darlington DUR

Try John and Barbara Dixons web site at www(.)dixons(.)clara(.)co(.)uk and go to the genealogy link. There is lots of useful info on BMD certs and about registering births of children born to unmarried children.

Hi Angela I had the same problem my gr grandparents married in 1891 so I looked for their daughters birth and couldn't find it until I went back in time not forward as I thought,and I found it her parents got married a year after her birth and she did have her fathers name on the birth cert. Jill from Cardiff

Hi Well I've just discovered that an ancestor had a daughter five years before she married. The woman was a spinster according to her marriage certificate which indicates that the child was illegitimate though I would have thought her mother 35 at the time of the birth would have known better. George

Thanks to everyone. I had thought that children born outside of marriage would have been a real exception 100+ years ago but now I see it happened more than I thought. I think I'll go ahead and order the birth and marriage certificates and see where that leads me next!