Would someone lie about who their father was?

[Neale1961]

Hello W1ghtg1rl
Here are just a few extra notes relevant to your research.
Please don’t hesitate to come back if you have questions / problems.

Harriett Game’s husband Edward Keeping seems to have had some wealth. He died 3 June 1877.
There is a will for him that might let you know if Harriet inherited anything, or whether it all went to the family of his first marriage

1881 census Ringwood
Harriet Keeping 60 (widow) is with her mother Mary James 88 (widow)

There is a death in Ringwood in 1882 for a Mary James (aged 91), which could be the correct one.

June 1883 Ringwood
Harriett Keeping (widow) married Caleb Mintey (widower & marker gardener)

Caleb Mintey died 27 July 1889
His widow Harriet was one of the executors of his will.

1901 census Ringwood
Harriett Minty 80 living on own means

Harriett (Game – Keeping) Mintey died 1910 Ringwood (age 89)

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Harriett Game had an older sister named Maria Game (also illegitimate) who was baptised in Ringwood in Oct 1823 at age 5 (so born abt 1818)
Maria Game married in 1840 Holdenhurst to Charles MARTIN. Her sister Harriet was a witness to the marriage.

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Baptism for Mary GAME    -  26 Dec 1791 in Dorset, Sturminster Marshall
Parents – Elizabeth (nee Frost) and George Game
(Another sibling named Phyllis baptised at the same time)

Phyllis Game marriage in Ringwood in 1816 to Robert BARNES
The family are living in Kingston Ringwood in the census records

[W1ghtg1rl]

Wow, just wow, thank you so much for all this information, much obliged.

[Biggles50]

In my collection of GRO Certificates at least 4 of them include at least a false declaration.

At worst there are two Certificates which are pure works of fiction.

You cannot 100% trust Certificates, nor Baptism records, nor Census records.

In one Marriage Certificate I have the female who is getting married declared her Father which is rather odd as no Father is listed on her Birth Certificate and the Man her Mother eventually married was only 9 years of age when she was born so I think that we can discount him.

[Neale1961]

Phyllis Game marriage in Ringwood in 1816 to Robert BARNES
The family are living in Kingston Ringwood in the census records

I've just noticed that Phyllis Barnes (nee Game) and her sister Mary James (nee Game) are living next door to each other in the 1861 census in RIngwood.