question regarding births

[tullig]

This may seem a simple request but I just need someone with more experience in how things were in Belfast in 1936.
I am helping my best friend trace her family and she was led to believe that her grandfather was 'taken in' after being found on a step. I have found a birth certificate for him and a baptism which  both state mother but no father. The family feel that from this story the mother listed may not be the mother, so I guess I am asking if a child was 'found' would a women be able to just register that child as their own ? Would she not need information from the hospital as this was 1936 so births had to be registered. I am just thinking that since he came to England at the age of 14 on his own this may have been a story misinterpreted.
I appreciate anyone with a little more experience offering an opinion
Kind regards
Lynn

[aghadowey]

Lots of children in those days, and long after, were born at home so it wasn't uncommon for mother's to register such children without any paperwork in those days.
If mother listed but no father on birth or baptism this indicates an illegitimate birth. A foundling, if turned in to the authorities may have been fostered but it seems unlikely that someone finding baby on doorstep would be registering such a child- and certainly not without a note on at least birth registration.
Foundlings are sometimes mentioned in news reports so that's one avenue to search but it may be that the foundling story was to cover up illegitimacy.
Have you tried looking for information on the mother on birth certificate?

[Elwyn Soutter]

I have seen several foundling births registered. The mother's name was blank and the person registering the birth in one case was the person who found the child and in another a Minister. Both certificates gave the place of birth as "child found at X" or words to that effect. No-one would surely want to be recorded as the mother if they were not. (There are legal consequences). So if this child was born at a given address, rather than "found at" and someone has said they were the mother, then I'd be inclined to think that's likely to be accurate. (In so far as anything in this life is accurate).

You could search for a baptism record to see if that reveals anything. With illegitimate children baptism records sometimes say who the father was, or was reputed to be.

[tullig]

The only information on the certificate and baptism is the mothers name and married name and her maiden name. It also has the address so I have requested a search on the address in the 1939 census to see if I can glean any other information. On the baptism record he has a sponsor.
Thank you both for taking the time to respond. I will look into the 'foundling' theory.
Kind regards
Lynn