Marriage Certificate puzzle

[dragon266]

I recently got birth, marriage and death certificate for my grandfather Sidney Cyril Martin he was born 27Th Oct 1913 he has no father listed his mother Betsy martin has no record of marriage and this backs up evidence by surname not changing from her parents John Martin and Elizabeth Martin (Helmsley) . Betsy died in 1918 and by history passed down Elizabeth and John brought him up. Sidney got married on 24Th December 1942. he has put fathers name down as John Martin(Deceased). Has any one come across a situation before where the incorrect name is put on father section of marriage certificate have double checked my research in case I incorrectly linked wrong family but everything fits.

[lizdb]

It is not unusual for the person to name the person who took the role as father - in this case his grandfather. Especially in the case of illegitiacy when the he probably never knew his biological fathers name.

[sillgen]

There are numerous examples of this.  He may have considered John to be his father so put his name as a mark of respect or he may not have wanted to admit to the new in-laws that he was illegitimate and added the name to cover it up.
Andrea

[dragon266]

I thought something like that i wasn't sure if it would of been marked on certificate to show not father. Hadn't heard of it before so was expecting blank space when it came through post today thanks for the help.

[Scales]

I have a similar situation where the marriage certificates of 2 brothers show the same  person as the father. I cannot find birth records for either of the boys but have them on census records with their mother & grandfather and later with the mother and step father. I cannot find any reference to the father on any census, birth or death and no mariage to the boys mother either.  one of the brothers is my G Grandfather so I have hit a brick wall early on with this side of the family.

It is very frustrating !!!

[Nick29]

Even as recently as 50 years ago, illegitimacy was looked upon as a sin of the child, and people would do whatever they could to cover it up.  It's not at all unusual for a bride or groom to 'invent' a father for the marriage certificate.

[MUMMYG]

I hope you dont mind me kind of hijacking this thread but I was just about to post a very similar question It has totally thrown me as I thought I was on the right track and now am doubtful.

I searched parish records for my ancestors birth as I couldnt find it in GRO indexes, sure enough I found a record for the correct time and place  stating the  child was an illegitimate birth, no fathers name so the child had the mothers surname.

I found the marriage of this child which I know to be correct from family information in which he states his fathers name John, with the same surname as himself and mother and his occupation Labourer.

The grandfathers christian name was also John with same surname obviously but he was a schoolmaster.
The mother married to a John Gleave  three years later 'out of town' and he was a labourer, I assumed this was the father or maybe the grandfathers name was used until I found out he was a teacher.

What  do you think has happened here, did they just assume the fathers surname was the same as his or should I be looking elsewhere?

[clayton bradley]

 One of my extended Broadley clan was born Matilda Walsh and at her first marriage she said her father was John Walsh, collier. I am assuming the vicar said "what is your father's name?" She said "John" and he added the Walsh automatically. I have a couple of similar examples. If there were 3 years between the birth of the child and marriage to someone, I wouldn't be at all certain that the new husband was the father of the child, although in Matilda's case, that was what happened. John Broadley married Matilda's mother and had several more children but Matilda had to live with her maternal grandparents and they had to take him to court to get money for her. Have you tried looking in newspapers to see if anyone was made to pay for the child? Or there might be a reference in Poor Law documents? claytonbradley

[MUMMYG]

I can try that avenue later I suppose, good idea, its not my locality though so is a last resort.

The child seams to have lived with mother and new husband and always uses his mothers married name until he gets married himself when he reverts to his baptismal surname, his mother is Nancy on legal documents but Anne in all census so  Im really hoping for more proof that Im not following the wrong family here, although Ive checked to make sure there arent other likely leads and can find none, sorry, it a bit complicated I know.