Alexander Donaldson

[bobbybob]

Hi Folks, Last year i posted a topic on Donaldson/Brown, which i had a lot of success with and, have now returned to the Donaldsons. The problem is i'm not 100% sure of the Alexander i'm tracing. What i have is,
my gr. grandmother Grace Allan was born 18/11/1867 but, her birth cert only gives her mothers name, Sarah Allan, Grace is down as being illigitimate.
Grace was married twice, 1st to Thomas Cherrie (26/8/1892) and, 2nd time to Robert Brown(31/12/1907). On both her certs her parentss are Alexander  & Sarah Donaldson, as was on her death cert, she died on 4/1/1951.

In the census returns of 1871 Grace (3) was living with her grandparents Andrew & Grace Allan, also her mother Sarah Allan, at 3 linden Cottage, Loanhead. And down as Donaldson.
The 1881 census for Lasswade has Grace (13) as Grace A D. But, was living with her mother who had just married a William Swan (2/6/1881).
But i cannot find any trace of a marrige of Alexander Donaldson & Sarah Allan.

The Alexander i think my gr. grandfather is, was born on 13/1/1841, Lasswade, he became a baker. His parents were John Donaldson and, Isabella Williamson, who married on29/1/1841.
John was born on 1/6/1818 in Lauder, Berwickshire and, died on 28/9/1857 in Penicuik, Midlothian.
His parents were Alexander Donaldson and, Alison Graham, no more info yet on them.
Does any member think that this is a connection.
Cheers Iain

[hume]

Hi Ian,

It was quite common for children to be known by their father surname, even though the father was not on the birth certificate. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they were only named if they accepted the child was their's.

Does that Alexander's occupation match with what Grace gave on both her marriage registrations?

hume24

[bobbybob]

Hi Hume24, Alexander is mentioned as a baker on all her certs and, also got him on census returns as a baker.

Cheers Iain

[ADP]

If the couple were unmarried, the father's name could only go on the birth certificate if he attended the registrar's office and signed his name on the certificate as father. Beyond that, at a later date, the mother could raise a court action against the father to have him named as the father. If the court found that he was the father, then an entry was made in the register of corrected entries (RCE). The birth certificate would then have an annotation added (usualy in the left margin) to indicate that there was a corresponding RCE.

ADP