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  • Identifying the father

    Any ideas as to how I can eliminate/identify probable father?
    Baby born in 1909; registration made by mother, giving her 'married' and 'maiden' names and the full name of her 'husband'.

    Only one person with the mother's maiden name appears on census returns.
    About eighty with the father's first and surname, but only about seven or so with his full name appear on the 1871/81/91 returns.

    Narrowing down geographically - none of these names are for people living near the place of registration, but one of them lived less than two miles from the mother (the rest considerbaly more distant). The baby was born over 90 miles away from the mother's home, but very close to where the uncle of most likely father was living, according to the 1901 census. The baby was registered with two fornames, the second that of his birth father, the first the same as the seemingly likely birth father's father.

    1911 Census: the baby lived about 40 miles from his mother (I'm quite certain I have the right person, given her name) who is single and living with her parents. The seemingly likely father is also single and living with his parents, less than two mile from the mother. I can find no marriage record for them, but there is one for the mother, in 1917.

    So - any ideas as to how I can confirm the identity of the father? What is the likelihood of it being the one who lived so close, whose uncle lived in the town where the birth was registered, whose father had the same name as that given to the baby?

    Sorry - it's rather convoluted and full of instinct, but the only hard data I have is on the birth certificate - and some of that lacks substance!

  • #2
    Julite

    The short answer to your question is that unless she told someone the name of the father of her child, then any guess is just that - a guess, I'm afraid.

    Does the child marry? What is father's name on that marriage cert (although, if illegitimate then it could just as easily be a made up name for appearances).

    Although it is very tempting to make assumptions, it is a deadly road to follow. The REAL father may have cleared off to Australia the moment he heard of her pregnancy.

    You could try looking for maintenance orders in the local Magistrate's Court, in case the mother took out a paternity order.

    OC

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    • #3
      I'd agree, ...Take a look at the father's name on the child's marriage certificate, as a first resort. Although the father needed to be around at the birth registration in order to be recorded there, there is nothing to stop a child naming his father when he marries.

      Was the child baptised?
      When checking local parish records near here for someone, I noted that the vicar had named EVERY illegitimate child''s fathers.

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      • #4
        You could see if the person you suspect of being the father left a will, and if so get a copy to see if he mentions the child in it.
        KiteRunner

        Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
        (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

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        • #5
          Thanks for the reply OC

          The child married. The father named on his marriage certificate was the man who was fostering the baby on the 1911 census - I presume he subsequently adopted him. The coincidences which point to the individual who seems the most likely candidate are:
          geographic proximity to the mother - less than 2 miles;
          family links with the birth place (possibility - pregnant girlfriend was hurried away
          from home until after the birth - her family don't seem to have any
          links outside the area while his has this one link);
          the baby's forenames;
          the foster father's mother came from the same village as the mother's family;
          given the short distance separating the named parents, the mother would have been
          taking some risk at giving such a specific name -first, middle, surname - when
          registerng the birth - especially as they were still living close to each other in 1911 -
          both in their mid20s.

          This was in late 1909 - how would I find maintenance orders. The baby is identified as a 'boarder' with the couple he grew up with, whom he regarded as his parents. Would a maintenance order have provided for fees for boarding?

          Julite

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          • #6
            I took so long with my two-finger-typing reply, I missed the later suggestions. Thanks for those. Coincidence - Gwyn - it was in Kent!

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            • #7
              If it's anywhere near Folkestone and I can help locally, just let me know.

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              • #8
                There are often more clues on birth certificates than you think on closer inspection.What address was given as the place of birth? Did she have an occupation? Was the father's occupation registered on the birth certificate? If it is something that required an apprenticeship or was a skilled trade then that may give a clue to the father or may exclude some others from your search.
                Quite often the term "formerly known as " is used instead of maiden name so she may have been married before or used someone else's name before.
                Good Luck

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                • #9
                  maybe you could look for electoral rolls at the address of birth. she wont be on there, but any male members should.

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                  • #10
                    Ultimately whatever name the mother gave as the child's father would be accepted by the registrar if she pretended they were married.

                    None of us can know (without DNA evidence) that the father named on any document is the correct father.

                    Your hunches make sense, but they are only hunches and not sure you can ever be certain - unless you do find a maintenance order.
                    ~ with love from Little Nell~
                    Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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                    • #11
                      Thank you again for the replies and suggestions. Gwyn - thanks for your offer - unfortunately they lived in/near Canterbury and the baby was living in Tonbridge in 1911.
                      As you might have picked up, this is more than a superficial genealogical interest. The baby was my father - I hadn't known he was adopted until after his death, but do know that he had a dislike/distrust of the idea of families (apart from our small nuclear unit) on the grounds that you can't choose them and they let you down. He also hated the use of the word 'bastard' as an insult, explaining that the bastard had nothing to apologise for. I just put it down to his love of semantics, until my recent discovery. Although he died sometime ago, I would like to find his family for him - and me I suppose.

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