Parentage problems!

[itsrobert]

Did you know that the names Amelia and Ellen/Helen are considered to be 'the same' or used for the same person sometimes?

Melbell

I did wonder about that but didn't know if they were interchangeable? The strange thing is that on every other baptism entry for her other children she is Amelia/Ameliae/Emiliae.

[Sloe Gin]

Did you know that the names Amelia and Ellen/Helen are considered to be 'the same' or used for the same person sometimes?

As far as I'm aware, the names are not related to each other at all.

https://www.behindthename.com/name/amelia
https://www.behindthename.com/name/helen
https://www.behindthename.com/name/ellen-2

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

Have you tried looking at local newspapers? They sometimes have reports of Courts dealing with maintenance matters, also if anything awful had happened there might be a report of that.

Regards,
Daisy

[Maiden Stone]

In 1901 John was not with Amelia and her husband & children in their part of the dwelling but was listed with his grandparents in their part and showed as John with Amelia's maiden surname followed by her married surname.  John was possibly sharing a room with another grandchild of the same sort of age and as Amelia now had 2 children sleeping space may have been limited in her part of the dwelling.

Robert has said in reply #43 that a nephew of John's GF (and also therefore a cousin of the girls) was present at census 1901. John was probably sharing a room with him and so he was in his GF's part of the house and down as grandson of head of household. It was the correct information to put on the census form.

[Maiden Stone]

The one thing that stood out was, despite life’s problems, the local priest was the law, I think, especially as Robert has commented on the church being close at hand that the priest knew full well who was the mother, and probably who the father was.

Amelia was told by the matriarch of the extended family Go and register the birth and she did just that.

It was the norm then for older sisters to look after the young ones, maybe she formed an attachment to the baby and that is why John ended up with her,

One thing is certain, we are not going to find the father

Mike

I agree with all that.
However, if Ellen was pregnant, would the priest not have suggested sending her away & having the baby adopted? He would have been able to arrange it. 

[Maiden Stone]

As Amelia's husband was in the army and went off to fight the Boer War, you may be able to find his service record and work out if he was near home at the right time to be John's father. Mind-you, Amelia might have gone on an away-day to visit him in the town where he was stationed. John might have been a Boer War baby. 

[rosie99]

In 1901 John was not with Amelia and her husband & children in their part of the dwelling but was listed with his grandparents in their part and showed as John with Amelia's maiden surname followed by her married surname.  John was possibly sharing a room with another grandchild of the same sort of age and as Amelia now had 2 children sleeping space may have been limited in her part of the dwelling.

Robert has said in reply #43 that a nephew of John's GF (and also therefore a cousin of the girls) was present at census 1901. John was probably sharing a room with him and so he was in his GF's part of the house and down as grandson of head of household. It was the correct information to put on the census form.

The nephew was age 17.  Mary Jane's son was 5 so more likely to be sharing with John age 3 though they could all have been in together. 

I was not disputing the  description given of grandson, I have seen the census entry so know how it is set out and what it says. 

[IJDisney]

The simplest answer is usually the correct one - the priest made an error.

But is there any possibility that "Helenae" was Amelia's confirmation name?

[itsrobert]

That's a very good point. I'm not sure. I wonder if any confirmation registers exist for that church? I'll see what I can find.