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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: quizmaster on Tuesday 18 July 06 11:53 BST (UK)

Title: Father's name
Post by: quizmaster on Tuesday 18 July 06 11:53 BST (UK)

Attended a baptism on Sunday. Sad story, two small children, father - trouble with drugs, violent, restraining order, etc. so no father's name in baptism register. Just wondered if father's name is compulsory on birth certificate? There must be cases where the father's identitiy is in doubt, but just wondered about the legal side of things.

Title: Re: Father's name
Post by: CatOne on Tuesday 18 July 06 12:03 BST (UK)

As far as I am aware (someone correct me if I'm wrong), a fathers name may be entered on the birth certificate, without the father being present, if the parents are married. If the parents are not married, and the mother wants the father's name to be entered, he must be present when the birth is registered. If the couple are not married, the fathers name will be left blank, unless he is present.... (just checked GRO site - he may fill in a form declaring paternity if he cannot be present at birth registration, see GRO site for full details)

Regards
Catherine  :)

Title: Re: Father's name
Post by: Miss Poohs on Tuesday 18 July 06 16:18 BST (UK)

I seem to remember when we were registering Andrews birth (8yrs ago), here in Scotland, we were given a card by the maternity unit.

As we are married Peter could have taken the card and registered his birth, without me being present, but - if we hadn't been married I would have, had to take the card and register his birth myself.

I remember this because, if Andrew had been a girl, Peter was threating to call her Hattie and there was nothing I could do about it!!!

I still don't know if he was kidding or not  :o

Title: Re: Father's name
Post by: Nadine Moore on Tuesday 18 July 06 18:48 BST (UK)

I was unmarried when my daughter was born in 1982 and both myself and her father had to be present to register his details on her birth certificate.

We were also advised to register her in my name so that if we subsequently married we could just have the entry changed. If his name was not on the original birth certificate we would have had to adopt our own child when we married.

Worryingly, I have found two separate entries for her birth registration now. I had a discussion with someone else on this thread here.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,144304.0.html

Nadine