Devenport Brothers

[Siely]

Devenport brothers Robert (born 25 Jan. 1867) and James (born 1870) were both born in Clonlum , Co. Armagh to Margaret Devenport (died 1883) who was daughter of Hamilton Devenport of Clonlum.
(source irishgeneaology.ie)
On BOTH Robert and James birth records the father's name is omitted, why would this happen ?
(both Margaret and her father Hamilton were illiterate making a "X" on the register so this is unlikely to be the reason for the omission of the father).
Robert later has a William Devonport (miner) as his father on his marriage cert. in Birmingham to a Kate Sylvester in 1891.
Why did he
stay anonymous on birth registrations ? Any thoughts ?

[heywood]

Just for information, here is Robert’s birth record
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1867/03490/2282712.pdf
And James https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1870/03327/2219743.pdf
Margaret is a spinster on her death record
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1883/06356/4823771.pdf

In these kind of circumstances,  people often invented a father for respectability.
Sometimes, they would use a stepfather or grandfather’s name or another male relative.
In this case, as Margaret did not marry and grandfather was not William, it could be just an invention.

[gaffy]

I think I see a potential uncle William marrying: (1) Mary Jane Donnelly (1867); (2) Susan Patterson (1887), he wasn't a miner but maybe he was the inspiration for the invention of the name. 

[heywood]

That looks promising, gaffy.

[Wexflyer]

Why did he
stay anonymous on birth registrations ? Any thoughts ?

Because legally he wasn't supposed to be named.
The fathers of illegitimate children were not to be named. Except perhaps if they turned up in person at registration and accepted that the child was theirs.

[CaroleW]

It was the same situation with birth registration in England.  If a child is illegitimate, the biological father has to attend the registration & sign the register which acknowledges the child as his.

If he refuses to attend or sign - his name cannot appear on the birth cert for obvious (& probably legal) reasons.  My late uncle fathered a child with a married woman in 1936 but signed the birth register

Present day - I don't know what the position is if a DNA test proves he is the father

[Jon_ni]

Because legally he wasn't supposed to be named.
The fathers of illegitimate children were not to be named. Except perhaps if they turned up in person at registration and accepted that the child was theirs.

Actually legally the mother could name any person she liked as father from the start of civil registration 1864 up to when the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Ireland), 1880 came into force on 1 Jan 1881.
In the 1863 Act there was no "Saving for father of illegitimate child".

Eighteenth Annual Report of the Registrar-General of Marriages, Births, and Deaths in Ireland 1881.
page 3. https://archive.org/details/op1251206-1001/page/n5/mode/2up

Amongst minor changes may be mentioned:
3. Prior to 1881, the mother of an illegitimate child could, acting as informant, have the name of any person inserted in the register as father of such child.
Under the new Statute the Registrar is prohibited from entering the name of any person as father of an illegitimate child, unless at the joint request of the mother and of the person acknowledging himself to be the father of such child, both of whose signatures are required to the entry.

The first 5 to 6 pages of the introduction, up to the comment regarding Roman Catholic marriage registration defects, are a useful summary & explaination of the changes.

Edit: for completeness:
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Ireland) Act 1863
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/26-27/11/pdfs/ukpga_18630011_en.pdf
Births and Deaths Registration Act (Ireland) 1880.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/43-44/13/enacted

The "saving for father" applied in England and Wales from their 1874 Act, updating the 1836.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/37-38/88/enacted

[Wexflyer]

Very interesting. Thank you

[Siely]

Thank you all for your help.
Heywood- I have noted your point that Margaret was a Spinster on her death record.
Margaret may have had a brother David who married Margaret Ferguson also in Clonlum area.
(Two Donnelly witnesses on marriage cert.)
The anonymous father of both Margaret Devenport's children is going to be difficult to pinpoint.