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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Mazm on Thursday 12 April 07 08:32 BST (UK)
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Stanmapstone give me an answer to my earlier query regarding numbers on birth certificates that didn't appear to relate to anything and that it was a correction number. I have another one and am wondering if it is the same answer.
This is for a birth certificate from 1912. The full name of the father is given. This name again is crossed out and the no. 8 has been added. My contact for this certificate has been told that the no. 8 means the name is correct but the father was not present at registration.
Is this the right answer or simply just another error.
Hope this makes sense.
Maz
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Hi Maz,
The no. 8 is a correction number.
Between 1837 and 1875 if the mother informed a registrar of an illegitimate child's birth and also stated the father's name, the registrar could record him as the father, otherwise the space for the father's name and occupation will be blank.
This applied until The Registration Act of 1875 which stated:
"The putative father of an illegitimate child cannot be required as father to give information respecting the birth. The name, surname and occupation of the putative father of an illegitimate child must not be entered except at the joint request of the father and mother; in which case both the father and mother must sign the entry as informants"
Therefore a man could only be named as the father of an illegitimate child on the birth certificate if he consented and was also present when the birth was registered.
It seems that he was not present when the birth was registered.
Stan
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Stan
Thank you once again.
Regards
Maz