Newbie - Help Finding a Birth Certificate

haras21uk · Post by **haras21uk** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:45 pm

Hi,
I have recently begun to research my family history. I seem to have come to a standstill regarding my great grandfather as I cannot find his birth certificate.
I have a copy of my great grandfathers marriage certificate and it leads me to believe he was born in 1886 and his full name was John Alexander Martin. His parents details were as follows -
Father - John Martin, Blacksmith(reputed father)
Mother - Janet Alexander, domestic servant, later married John Campbell (I have subsequently found out that this marriage took place in 1888).
I am assuming that the term reputed means that his parents were not married.
I know that his mother was from Glasgow and was living in Kelvinhaugh street when she got married. But when I try to search for my grandfathers birth certificate I find no matches.

I would really appreciate some advice on how to proceed as I would really like to know whether he was illegitimate, whether he was given away at birth and/or which parent he grew up with.

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:52 pm

Firstly - Welcome to Talking Scot [talkingscot]

Have you tried looking for his birth under his mother's maiden name? and outwith her usual area?

Often a reputed father's name only crops up in later years and isn't mentioned on the birth certificate.
And as the child would be illegitimate, the mother may have left the area to give birth.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:53 pm

Hi haras21uk
..and welcome to Talking Scot

Not sure where you have looked already, but on SP there does appear to be a John Alexander Martin b. in 1885, but you may already have seen this one -perhaps it is not the correct one.

Once you have found him, if you follow him through the census records you should be able to get some idea who he was living with.

Best wishes
Lesley

haras21uk · Post by **haras21uk** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:56 pm

Yes, I had a copy of this one but the mother is not called Janet.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:58 pm

What is the mother called on that one? Is the surname the same?
Is the father's name and occupation correct on that one?

haras21uk · Post by **haras21uk** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:00 pm

I have looked under her maiden name by just searching for firstname: John and Surname: Alexander. The problem is that this returns lots of results and without paying to view each document(which I have now done for 10 BC) I am not sure how to limit the results. Is there anyway to search for a mothers name on a birth certificate?

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:01 pm

More Questions:

Have you found him on census returns? where does it say he was born on them? and do the ages tally with his Marriage cert?

Janet as a name can be found under many forms; Jenny, Jane or Jean for instance.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:03 pm

What is the mother called on the 1855 one? Is the surname the same?
Is the father's name and occupation correct on that one?

If you can answer these questions it will help us to help you.

Is there anyway to search for a mothers name on a birth certificate?

Not on Scotlands People, no.

Best wishes
Lesley

haras21uk · Post by **haras21uk** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:03 pm

On the John Alexander Martin BC the
Fathers name was James Martin and was a stovekeeper
Mothers name was Jessie Martin nee Watt
So it isn't the right record

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:05 pm

Jessie is another variation of Janet, so the mother was a Janet but the rest does not seem to tally with what you have seen on the marriage.
Were the 1885 John's parents married?

TalkingScot.com

Newbie - Help Finding a Birth Certificate

Newbie - Help Finding a Birth Certificate

Not 1885 Record

WilmaM - Maiden Name

LesleyB - Details