were they illagitamate

[oldhippyone]

i havejust recieved 2 birth certificates and where it ask,s for fathers name it has a line going through also on fathers occupation does this meen they were born with father unknown ? i thought it would of said born illagitamate what do the large / mean ? both born to same mother one in 1840 other in 1848 , both died a few years later

[Ruskie]

Yes, I think it would be correct to asume that they were illegitimate.

[oldhippyone]

thank you .... but do you have a idea why it didnt say illegitamate ... could it be she didnt want any one to know the father ? maybe a affair ? or maybe she had to be a working girl to survive ?

[oldhippyone]

i have to add she had 7 children in all .... with no fathers names

[aghadowey]

The father of an illegitimate child could be listed on the birth certificate- but the father would have had to appear with the mother to register the child.

[oldhippyone]

ok thank you ...

[Guy Etchells]

The father of an illegitimate child could be listed on the birth certificate- but the father would have had to appear with the mother to register the child.

Not in 1840 or in 1848 which is what the question was about.

Prior to circa 1850 the putative father could be named on a birth certificate without attending to register the birth.

The safest assumption is no father's name was given to the registrar. That could be because the infant was a bastard or it could simply be the person registering the birth did not know the father's name.

There may be more clues if you look who registered the birth.

Cheers
Guy

[oldhippyone]

Is the mothers name on the birth certificate not the person who regisitered the birth ss it has same name in as mother in who registered collum

[KGarrad]

The father of an illegitimate child could be listed on the birth certificate- but the father would have had to appear with the mother to register the child.

Not in 1840 or in 1848 which is what the question was about.

Prior to circa 1850 the putative father could be named on a birth certificate without attending to register the birth.

The safest assumption is no father's name was given to the registrar. That could be because the infant was a bastard or it could simply be the person registering the birth did not know the father's name.

There may be more clues if you look who registered the birth.

Cheers
Guy

Guy, wasn't that 1874 Births and Deaths Registration Act?