Family dispute

[treegirl]

Hi -

amondg - you got me thinking and I have done some more digging and have found a record of a baptism for Thomas Smith JOHNSON from May 6th 1840 which states that mother's name was Elizabeth SMITH and father's name was Matthew JOHNSON. Seems I can't pass him off as stepfather after all!

TreeGirl

[amondg]

Check the court records.

[treegirl]

I'm not local - can I do that online?

[brigidmac]

DNA could settle it

Even if he was named as father on baptism it doesn't prove paternity .

From what you've said , Thomas himself must have believed that Mathew was NOT his father .

[Rosinish]

baptism for Thomas Smith JOHNSON from May 6th 1840 which states that mother's name was Elizabeth SMITH and father's name was Matthew JOHNSON.

What date was given for Thomas' birth & what date was it registered?

If Matthew was Thomas' father, why didn't he sign the official birth registration?

Did Matthew have an occupation which took him away from home which meant he wasn't at home when Thomas' birth was recorded & was going to be away for a duration?

Why, if he was 'away' was the birth not amended to include his name on his return or at a later date?

Was Matthew in attendance at Thomas' baptism?

It appears to me, Matthew & Elizabeth met while she was 'with child', they decided to marry prior to Thomas' birth & Elizabeth has named Matthew as 'father' on the baptism of Thomas, possibly unknown to Matthew?

It then seems, at a later date, after Thomas married, there was a reason for the 'truth' to come out & Thomas learned Matthew wasn't his biological father?

As has been mentioned, DNA may be the way to find the truth?

Annie

[Rosinish]

Thomas' mother was Elizabeth SMITH and father was Matthew JOHNSON and they married shortly after Thomas was born in 1840. I have interpreted that as the reason behind the double barrelled nature of his name. Matthew Johnson was named as his father on Thomas' wedding certificate.

From your posts, I don't see Thomas with a "double barrelled" name.

His official birth registration was as Thomas SMITH & later became Thomas Smith JOHNSON not Thomas SMITH-JOHNSON i.e. his official surname of Smith became his middle name.

Annie

[treegirl]

Lots of food for thought here!

Will probably try and get Thomas' birth certificate to see what light that can shed.

Thanks all.

TreeGirl

(The reference to 'double barrelled' was tongue in cheek, btw! A nod to my Nan, who was initially excited when we found her grandfather was Thomas Smith Johnson because she thought it meant they were 'posh' and exclaimed "We were double-barrelled!" only to be disappointed when it was pointed out that it was more likely to indicate illegitamacy!)

[larkspur]

Hi -

amondg - you got me thinking and I have done some more digging and have found a record of a baptism for Thomas Smith JOHNSON from May 6th 1840 which states that mother's name was Elizabeth SMITH and father's name was Matthew JOHNSON. Seems I can't pass him off as stepfather after all!

TreeGirl

The baptism is at St Mary Mags, Newark and says 6 May 1840 Christian name- Thomas Smith, fathers name Matthew Johnson. Mothers name-Elizabeth Smith. Father a labourer abode Newark. This is exactly how my great grandmothers baptism is entered, her parents married several years later, after his first wife died.

Baptism St Mary Mags, Newark 7 June 1863 Sarah dau of Thomas JOHNSON and Maria father a labourer abode "wooden houses"

[treegirl]

The baptism is at St Mary Mags, Newark and says 6 May 1840 Christian name- Thomas Smith, fathers name Matthew Johnson. Mothers name-Elizabeth Smith. Father a labourer abode Newark. This is exactly how my great grandmothers baptism is entered, her parents married several years later, after his first wife died.

Baptism St Mary Mags, Newark 7 June 1863 Sarah dau of Thomas JOHNSON and Maria father a labourer abode "wooden houses"
[/quote]

Thanks for this, Larkspur. These are definitely my lot. I think this is the only time I have seen Thomas and Maria recorded purely as Johnson.

Does anyone have any sense of where "wooden houses" would have been? I know that the family lived around the yards (CGY, Tenter Buildings, Bedlam Lane. Maria's family were in St Leonard's Court) so I am imagining they are from that area.

TreeGirl