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  • Bastardy orders

    How does one go about searching for the father of an illegitimate child in England? I know there was an order made, but no more than that

  • #2
    What date are we talking about, as that is crucial.

    OC

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    • #3
      Hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread, but my tree contains a child born in 1885 in St Helens with no fathers name on the cert - where would I go to start researching this one?

      Many thanks
      Clive

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Olde Crone Holden View Post
        What date are we talking about, as that is crucial.

        OC
        the birth was 26 July 1942

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        • #5
          The nearer you get to the present day, the more difficult it is.

          Before 1836, it was a matter of public concern and Bastardy Orders were very common and mostly survive. After 1836, bastardy became a private matter more or less and unless the child was a drain on the public purse, no official effort was made to either name, or trace the father. It was up to the mother to chase the father for maintenance and this was usually done in the magistrate's court. Personally I have never had any success in finding any of these magistrates orders because they were routinely destroyed as soon as the child reached 14 or 16 or whatever age maintenance stopped being paid.

          Into the 20th century, same system, magistrates court, records routinely destroyed when the child left school. Some of course will still exist because someone forgot to destroy them, lol, but I think you would hit a brick wall unless you are the child concerned, as they are sensitive records and will no doubt come under the Data Protection Act, or the 100 year rule.

          Occasionally, a Vicar will enter the name of the putative father on a baptism record but that is just down to luck, I'm afraid.

          OC

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          • #6
            Many thanks, OC, I was suspecting something like that. I'm the child concerned, and although I know the name of my father, and the fact that he was in the RAF during the war, I've drawn a blank everywhere, including RAF records. It would seem that half of the family tree is going to stay empty!

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            • #7
              By the way, they aren't called "bastardy orders" these days. In the 1940s I think the term would have been "affiliation order".

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              • #8
                Thanks to all for the information.

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                • #9
                  Engelsepiet

                  As you are the child in question, you MIGHT be in luck...do you know in which Magistrate's Court the order was granted? If so, contact them and ask if they still have any records. It's a very slim chance but if you don't ask, you'll never know. Good luck!

                  (They were also sometimes called Maintenance Orders, although I think that was probably more to do with supporting ex wives)

                  OC

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                  • #10
                    Sthwales, it might be worth looking for a baptism record, just on the offchance that the father's name is given.

                    And if the child has a middle name that sounds like a surname, that can be a useful pointer to the father's identity.

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                    • #11
                      Do you say you haven't been able to look at RAF records or that nothing was recorded in them? I found an unexpected request for support when I downloaded a WW1 Army record recently.



                      Researching Irish families: FARMER, McBRIDE McQUADE, McQUAID, KIRK, SANDS/SANAHAN (Cork), BARR,

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                      • #12
                        JBee

                        I doubt if anyone can look at WW2 RAF records as these are only usually available to next of kin. We do not know if this man is deceased and even if he is, documentary evidence would have to be produced as next of kin.

                        OC

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                        • #13
                          Difficult then.



                          Researching Irish families: FARMER, McBRIDE McQUADE, McQUAID, KIRK, SANDS/SANAHAN (Cork), BARR,

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