Genealogy Chat

My father was born in Leicester in 1923, but was handed by his mother to grandparents to bring up, as she was to marry someone else. The identity of his father was a family secret, and the only information which living relatives have is that he was a farmer, possibly called Frank.

I expect that the arrangement with grandparents was an informal one, so I doubt whether there is any adoption record. His birth certificate lists his mother's husband as the father for convenience. Is there any likelihood of any type of record being in existence which might reveal my grandfather's name, and how would I go about trying to find it?

One thought I have had is to search the 1901 census data to find any farmers in Leicestershire with sons under 20 by the name of Frank - but I don't know whether this sort of search is possible. If it is then I might be able to trace a living relative - but it is unlikely of course that they would be able to verify one way or the other.

well Frank could have been a Francis!!.
I would say his Mum concealed the real dad and only put her hubby as the father for face saving.
I really cant see how you would verify the real dad tho.

Shirley

I suppose if you look at the place where your grandmother was living and then hunt for young children called Frank/Francis on the 1901 census it might give you the father assuming he was alive then and not born after.
However that is likely to have been a fairly common name and there is no telling how your grandmother met this Frank or if he lived really near her.

I'm afraid this is likely to be a complete brickwall unless some miracle occurs like a long lost love letter.

Sue

Sometimes a baptism entry will show a birth father.
A married woman's husband is 'presumed' to be the father unless the Registrar was told differently. A birth father could not be named unless he was present at the registration....this is still for unmarried couples...but I know that baptism registers definitely don't have the same restriction.

Gwyn

Thanks for the tip about baptism records. The family wasn't particularly religious, but there is a chance that he was baptised, so I will contact the one living relative brought up by the same grandpaprents to see if she was baptised, and if so where.

David do keep trying, if there is a living relative try and 'wheedle' any info you can from them.
After denying any knowledge for years my hubbie's aunt eventually gave him a name (just before she died age 80) and with this we were able to trace his father's birth marriage and death, though we never contacted the family. We thought it would be too much of a shock for 70 yr olds to find they had a half brother.