Marriage certificates of illegitimate children

[Huwcyn]

If a child was born illegitimate , with the father unknown ( unlikely, I appreciate) or the mother unwilling to reveal his identity , was the space for father's name left empty ? . Would there be any circumstances under which another relative's name was inserted ?

[LizzieW]

Depending what date we are talking about, illegitimate children often just gave a name, so that they wouldn't seem to be illegitimate.  One of my father's cousins did that in 1915.  She actually put her grandfather's name down (alternatively it could have been her uncle)  as both were long dead no-one would have known the difference - apart from her mother and grandmother.

[Iria]

On My Grandads Marriage Cert ..of 1928 The space for His Father was Left Blank ..

Regards

Iria

[Taffy Lee]

I've got a few illegitimate individuals on my tree.  In all cases, the father's name is either left blank or is "Unknown".

Lee

[LizzieW]

One of my father's cousins did that in 1915.  She actually put her grandfather's name down (alternatively it could have been her uncle)

I wonder why my father's cousin didn't just leave the space for father's name blank.  Perhaps she didn't want her new husband to know the truth.  Neither her grandfather, nor her uncle could have been her father.  Her grandfather was dead 10 years before she was born and her uncle would only have been 13 when she was conceived and there has never been any suggestion of anything untoward going on.  Her mother was working in a hotel in Hull when her daughter was conceived, so my guess is that the father was either a fellow worker or a guest (most of whom seem to have been fishermen).

Lizzie

[bronnie]

The case I have is of a husband and wife who have  1 child. The husband then died and the mother had a second, but illegitimate child some 4 years later. No father is named on the illegitimate child's birth cert, but when he later moved away and married, he recorded his mother's deceased husband as his own father on the marriage cert.

I presumed this was to hide the fact that he was illegitimate to his new wife's family. I did wonder though whether he might have grown up believing he had the same father as his brother, the passing of time being rather less well-measured in those days. However that would have also depended on the restraint of village gossip, so probably unlikely! I would love to know the circumstances.

[Welsh Jules]

One of my g grandmothers and one of my gg grandmothers were illegitimate and both had their grandfather's names (both deceased at the time) on their marriage certificates.