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By 1863, the power of the kirk session had waned considerably, especially in industrial towns that attracted "incomers", so I doubt you'd find that she'd been brought before the kirk session. In any case, the kirk session minutes can only be researched at selected archive centres in Scotland: they are not online as they haven't yet been indexed.

After birth certificates were introduced in 1855, registrars were only allowed to include the father's name for an illegitimate child if the father attended the registration or gave his written permission. They were not allowed to take the mother's word for it!

Sometimes an illegitimate child names their father on their marriage certificate but sadly your ancestor hasn't. And yes, a middle name can sometimes be the father's surname, but a girl named Elizabeth Stewart Moffat was more likely to have been named for someone called Elizabeth Stewart. If Elizabeth was her mother's first daughter then it could well be that her grandmother's maiden name was Elizabeth Stewart.

I have ancestors who lived at High Street, Kilmarnock. Most of the houses seem to have been multi-tenanted, with families living in one or two rooms. And yes, back in 1863 Scotland both births and marriages would have taken place at home, and not in a hospital or church.

Hi Kirsty

Just adding to all the good advice here 

In 1891, there are at least 44 people all showing as residing at 12 Park Street Kilmarnock. So the address was certainly multi occupancy and not a church address as mentioned already.

Sadly, not sure what you are likely to find anything in Kirk Session minutes for this period and for Kilmarnock (if they have survived, they can only be viewed personally and won't be available to view online) ...but I never say never to anything really  Just unlikely unfortunately really.

From most people's experience of illegitimacy around this period and trying to trace further back, things to check are:

• Birth - sometimes there are notes on the l/h margin of the birth register (post 1855). These notes may indicate that the father's details may be known due to legal process by checking the register of corrected entries (RCE). If nothing shows, then there is likely no official note of potential father. Father's name was included only if he attended the Registrar to confirm he was father. If not, no father's details were included. Sometimes, illegitimate children used their reputed father's surname, so this can give clues to potential father. You don't mention this, so likely not in this case?
• Marriage - sometimes a child, if he/she knew the name of the reputed father, would include it here. However, this is also the time that many added ficticious names to cover their illigitimacy which then can complicate your research.
• Death - sometimes a name for a father can be added.
• Children's names - again, if someone knew father's name, it may come up and be used when naming of their children.

Be hopeful though...sometimes things pop up which help 

Monica

Hi Kirsty,
In the time period, most couples were married at the home, more often, at the home of the bride.

The address will be correct.
A marriage ceremony within a church buiding did not become popular until the 20th century.

do you know where in county Armagh they where

 the problem is that the dates you are looking for are before civil registration - 1845 non catholic marriage. 1864 catholic marriage and all births and deaths. That means it is the church records you are going to need