RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: julied123 on Thursday 17 September 09 08:11 BST (UK)
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My ancestor Sarah Minshaw never married. :o : :o :o born 1832 she, had a son called Thomas: father left blank on the birth certificate. She lived with her Grandmother, then her mother, then her step father.
My ?: Sarah was born in Mary port Cumberland, as she got older in to her thirties, her birth place changed to her birth place Ireland, any views as to why. I thought it was a trascript error but it is on the last 30 years of her life, the first thirty states birth Cumberland.
Also never married born 1832 any thoughts.>?
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Well, you have two separate issues here. The first is why she never married. With no birth control, unwanted pregnancies were rife, and usually a couple would marry when a child was expected, because of the shame hurled upon them (mostly on the woman). However, sometimes marriage wasn't possible, because the father may have been already married, or may have died. If the woman had been shamed because of the illegitimate son, then she may well have gone to live with whoever would have her. All you can do is to get a picture of the whole family, and try to work out the most logical reason as to why she never married the father.
The second part is where she says she came from. Many reasons for this - forgetfullness in later life, trying to hide something, trying to cover up a lie told for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's just a case that someone else filled in the forms, and either mis-heard or guessed. I'm sure there's a lot more reasons that I haven't thought of.
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Thank you for your thoughts, I would have thought that if the father had died she would maybe still have used his name on the birth certificate just for the shame thing and sympathy.
I think maybe, as you suggest a married man.
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I'm not totally sure on this, but I don't think the father's name can be put on a child's certificate without his permission, in the case of an illegitimate birth. And dead people can't give permission.
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You might want to try this link for information on certificates as there are different reasons in different eras for absence of father's name.
http://home.clara.net/dixons/Certificates/indexbd.htm