Illegitimate birth

[Silas]

My grandmother's sister had an illegitimate daughter in 1895.  I knew the mother's name and the child's name, but wasintrigued to find out the name of the father.  I knew his surname, which was Wigglesworth, so sent for the birth certificate.  Imagine my disappointment when on the certificate the father isn't even mentioned.  The child was instead given his surname as part of her christian name - Ellen Wigglesworth Clarkson.

Is there any way I can find out his christian name - as rumour has it that he was an in-law of the mother in some way. The child was born in Allerton Bywater.

Silas

[katherinem]

Hi Silas,

It was usual for the father not to be named on the birth cert.  Have a look at http://home.clara.net/dixons/Certificates/births.htm

Rarely a father was named on the parish records, but I have yet to find one!!!!

Have you looked at the mothers family at all to see if there is an in law by the name of Wigglesworth?

If you give me the mothers and any siblings names, I could have a dig about for you.

Kath

[Silas]

Hi Kath.  Thank you for your kind offer.  The mother in question was named Fanny Clarkson, born 1878 her siblings were Laura Cecelia, 1871, Emily, 1875, Lucy, 1883, Clare (or Clara), 1891, Volla, 1894.  Male siblings were Alfred, 1873, Reuben, 1880.

All were born in West Yorkshire - Leeds area.  Parents were Reuben Clarkson and Mary Ann Clarkson (nee Tyzack). Thank you again.

Silas

[katherinem]

Hi Silas,

I found on freebmd, marriages listed in the qtr Jan-Mar 1894 in the district of Pontefract with the same ref the following:

Emily Clarkson
Joseph Wigglesworth
Sarah Elizabeth Dixon
Adolphus Frederick Higgins.

I then found Adolphus Frederick Higgins and Sarah Elizabeth Dixon together on the 1901 census in Castleford, which nicely leaves Emily Clarkson and Joseph Wigglesworth, unfortunately at the moment I can find neither of them on the 1901 census.

I will keep digging 'tho

Kath

[Silas]

Hi Kath - had to go out today, so sorry for not getting back to you.  You have really surprised me by what you have found !!  Looks like Joseph Wigglesworth could be the culprit then - married to Fanny's sister.  The dates tie in because Ellen Wigglesworth Clarkson was born in March 1895 and family rumour has it that Fanny got pregnant by a brother-in-law - which is what Joseph was.

Who then were Sarah Dixon and Adolphus Higgins?  Thank you for being kind enough to help and anyother info you may find would be great.  Thank you.

Silas

[Valda]

If Ellen Wigglesworth Clarkson married she may give you further clues to her father on her marriage. If she could she would be likely to claim she was legitimate for propriety's sake, so if she was marrying as a Clarkson she is likely to give that surname for her father, leaving you the Christian name if she knew it, as her father's name. You can't be sure though since she could just give the Christian name of a close male relative. Alternatively she could go the whole way and give you the full name of her real father. You just don't know until you see the details what she chooses to say on the day.

Regards

Valda

[Silas]

Hello Valda.  Thanks for the reply.  I do know that Ellen did marry - she married a Thomas Stannard who was Australian and she went off to Australia with him - do not know yet the details of the marriage - date or place, etc, but will try to find this out, as you say, there could be a clue on her marriage certificate.  Thank you for your help.

Silas

[Valda]

The quarterly GRO index is here

http://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/rectype/vital/freebmd/bmd.aspx

The marriage doesn't appear on FreeBMD.
Their coverage charts are here so you can check which years and quarters they have full coverage of

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/progress.shtml

Regards

Valda

[Silas]

Thanks Valda.  Ellen's mother Fanny married a year after Ellen's birth - married a George Goodall, so am now wondering if Ellen changed her surname to Goodall, its a possibility I suppose, that's if it was allowed in those days. I think I'll look into that.  Thanks.

Silas