Hello everyone,
I am researching my late mother's family tree, and have so far managed quite well using online (government) birth, death, marriage and grave records in Australia. But now I need some advice please, on two separate subjects, so I am starting a new thread for each (I hope this is the best way to do it).
It appears that one of my Great Grandfathers, living in Melbourne Australia from around 1840 - 1902, had at least three long term relationships. I have (and am still chasing up) some indications of a marriage about 1870 and another about 1900. In between, it appears (but I'm not sure) that he lived with another woman but may have never married her, and she bore him a child who was my grandmother. So this is the line I most want to trace.
But there are difficulties. So far I have been unable to find any record of a wedding, my grandmother's birth or my great grandmother's death (my late mother told me she died soon after giving birth). Furthermore, my grandmother is not listed among the "issue" on my great grandfather's death certificate, and her marriage certificate lists her step-mother (who I'm pretty sure wasn't her birth mother). So I am having difficulty even finding out her name.
My question is this. Does anyone here, especially Australians, have any experience in how people of the day (about 1891) dealt with births to, and deaths of, women in de facto relationships? Nowadays we don't feel much shame about these things, but I have the impression from my mother that this may have been more shameful. So I'm wondering whether the birth is likely to have been registered in the father's name or the mother's birth name, and likewise what name is likely to have been used on my mother's subsequent death certificate. So far I cannot find any records under his name, and of course I don't know her birth name.
I realise I will have to dig around very patiently, and may never be able to resolve this, but perhaps someone has some helpful advice for me please? Thanks.
I am researching my late mother's family tree, and have so far managed quite well using online (government) birth, death, marriage and grave records in Australia. But now I need some advice please, on two separate subjects, so I am starting a new thread for each (I hope this is the best way to do it).
It appears that one of my Great Grandfathers, living in Melbourne Australia from around 1840 - 1902, had at least three long term relationships. I have (and am still chasing up) some indications of a marriage about 1870 and another about 1900. In between, it appears (but I'm not sure) that he lived with another woman but may have never married her, and she bore him a child who was my grandmother. So this is the line I most want to trace.
But there are difficulties. So far I have been unable to find any record of a wedding, my grandmother's birth or my great grandmother's death (my late mother told me she died soon after giving birth). Furthermore, my grandmother is not listed among the "issue" on my great grandfather's death certificate, and her marriage certificate lists her step-mother (who I'm pretty sure wasn't her birth mother). So I am having difficulty even finding out her name.
My question is this. Does anyone here, especially Australians, have any experience in how people of the day (about 1891) dealt with births to, and deaths of, women in de facto relationships? Nowadays we don't feel much shame about these things, but I have the impression from my mother that this may have been more shameful. So I'm wondering whether the birth is likely to have been registered in the father's name or the mother's birth name, and likewise what name is likely to have been used on my mother's subsequent death certificate. So far I cannot find any records under his name, and of course I don't know her birth name.
I realise I will have to dig around very patiently, and may never be able to resolve this, but perhaps someone has some helpful advice for me please? Thanks.
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