Euphemia Bell, born 1863, City Poorhouse, dau of Jane Bell, father unknown

[airvine9]

Greetings,
I'm looking for suggestions to identify the father of Euphemia Bell, born 25th Sep 1863 in the City Poor House. Her mother was Jane Bell, employed as a domestic servant at 13 Houston St. The birth certificate indicates she was illegitimate and there is no father listed. Euphemia's birth was registered in Tradeston.

Someone at the City Archives researched the Poor House records and did not find anything for Jane or Euphemia.

[CaroleW]

Hi

If she found her father in later life he may be named on her marriage or death cert 

[Forfarian]

The father of an illegitimate child can only be named on the birth certificate if he accompanies the mother when she goes to register the birth, and signs the register himself. So the absence of a father's name on a birth certificate does not necessarily mean that the child won't know who her/his father was.

Various possibilities

- as CaroleW says, she may have named her father on her marriage certificate an/or he may have been named on her death certificate

- her mother might have married her father after Euphemia was born.

- Euphemia might have been living with maternal grandparents in the 1871 census under her father's surname

So you need to check marriages of Jane Bells, and census listings for Euphemias aged 7 in the 1871 census. A quick search on Scotland's People says there are 3 Euphemias, but 45 *phem*s.

[rosie17]

This looks like euphemia in the 1871census address 106,west back land tradeston
John Laidlaw 29 born australia

Jane Laidlaw 26
Euphemia Laidlaw age 8

Marriage 11/3/1870 tradeston john laidley Janet bell

If this is the same euphemia she married a James Irvine

[airvine9]

Sorry, I ought to have given more information about the family. This family has six generations of women called Euphemia, so it is confusing at times.

Euphemia Bell's mother was Jane Bell (1844-1893). Jane Bell's parents were Colin Bell and Euphemia McDougall. Jane's mother is with the family in the 1841 census, but she is not with them in the 1851 census, so she may have died sometime between 1841 and 1851. I found a burial record for a Euphemia McDougall in 1847, which may be her. It is from the OPR, so there isn't much information. Colin's death certificate indicates that he was a widower, so his wife has died by 1857.

Euphemia's mother Jane married John Laidley in 1870, about 7 years after her daughter was born. Jane later married Donald Campbell after John died in 1884.

Rosie17, you are correct; this Euphemia Bell is the one who married James Irvine.

[Rosinish]

Rosie17, you are correct; this Euphemia Bell is the one who married James Irvine.

Did Euphemia give mention of her father on her marriage as you haven't indicated whether a father was named?

Annie

[airvine9]

Her marriage and death list John Laidley as her father. There is no RCE adding him to her birth record.

Euphemia's mother married John Laidley in 1870, seven years after she was born. While it is possible he was her father, it doesn't seem to make sense that he would have been in a relationship with a woman for seven years, had a child with her, then married her, and would not have acknowledged his child with her.

[rosie17]

Her marriage and death list John Laidley as her father. There is no RCE adding him to her birth record.

Euphemia's mother married John Laidley in 1870, seven years after she was born. While it is possible he was her father, it doesn't seem to make sense that he would have been in a relationship with a woman for seven years, had a child with her, then married her, and would not have acknowledged his child with her.

I don't think he was the father I think it is just one of these things you will never find out 
Rosie

[Forfarian]

Yes, I see your dilemma. But it's not impossible.

In Scotland, an illegitimate child is legitimated by the subsequent marriage of the parents, provided that they would have been free to marry one another when the child was conceived.

There was no requirement to have subsequent legitimation added to the child's birth documentation, though this could be done by taking the marriage certificate to the Registrar of the district where the child's birth was registered, and the Registrar would then annotate the birth entry in the Register of Corrected Entries, with a note in the margin of the original certificate.

So although it looks unlikely you can't exclude the possibility that John Laidley was the father. Reasons for legitimation not being recorded might include

- parents unaware of procedure
- parents not bothering
- parents unwilling/unable to pay any fees (though I am unsure what fee, if any, would have been chargeable)
- parents not free to marry one another in 1862/3 when Euphemia was conceived

If John Laidley wasn't Euphemia's father, then you have close to zero chance of ever finding out who was.