Unknown father?

[robm0761]

My grandmother was illegitimate and her birth registration does not list her father's name. Are there any other records where his name might have been recorded?

Thanks!

Rob Miller
Toronto, Ontario

[Anne H]

Hi Rob,

Welcome to TalkingScot

I take it there was no RCE noted on your grandmother's BC to indicate the father's name may have been added later on. Do you have your grandmother's MC and DC? Sometimes you get lucky and the father's name might just appear on one of those certificates.

Sorry I can't give you a better answer, but hopefully, someone will be along later with something better for you.

Regards,
Anne H

[Currie]

Hello Rob,

If your grandmother's mother subsequently married and your grandmother appeared on that family's census return as daughter of the head of the household it would at least be some sort of an indication (a far from perfect one) that the husband was the father.

Alan

[robm0761]

Hi Rob,

Welcome to TalkingScot

I take it there was no RCE noted on your grandmother's BC to indicate the father's name may have been added later on. Do you have your grandmother's MC and DC? Sometimes you get lucky and the father's name might just appear on one of those certificates.

Sorry I can't give you a better answer, but hopefully, someone will be along later with something better for you.

Regards,
Anne H

Hi Anne:

I do have her MC and DC, but unfortunately both occurred in Canada, and she sort of reinvented herself once over here (On her marriage registration she recorded her mother's middle name as her mother's maiden name, and her mother's surname as her father's surname). So no luck there.

I'm not sure what RCE is though?

Thanks for your reply and welcome!

Rob

[robm0761]

Hello Rob,

If your grandmother's mother subsequently married and your grandmother appeared on that family's census return as daughter of the head of the household it would at least be some sort of an indication (a far from perfect one) that the husband was the father.

Alan

Hi Alan:

Thanks for the reply!

Unfortunately, she was born in 1902, so no census access yet. And from the name she used on her marriage registration here in Canada (see message above), I'd say her mother never married.

Rob

[Anne H]

Hi Rob,

An RCE means Register of Corrected Entries and is used to make any corrections or additions/deletions to the original record. It’s normally written on the left hand side of the certificate and will have a date, Book, Page and Volume number. If there is one, when you pull up the image on SP, there should also be a red button at the top of the image for you to view the RCE (2 credits more).

Unfortunately, you might have to end up like myself and probably countless others and never find out the father’s name…frustrating, isn’t it

Regards,
Anne H

[Currie]

Back again Rob,

Did your grandmother have any siblings? Perhaps you might get a clue as to her father’s name from info on any siblings birth, marriage or death certificates. It might indicate whether her mother was in a long term relationship even if there was no marriage.

Just a thought,
Alan

p.s. Even if your current line of enquiry draws a blank, the 1911 census release isn't all that far away and might throw a whole new light on the matter.
Alan

[nelmit]

My grandmother was illegitimate and her birth registration does not list her father's name. Are there any other records where his name might have been recorded?

Thanks!

Rob Miller
Toronto, Ontario

Where, in Scotland, was your grandmother born ?

Regards,
Annette

[robm0761]

Wow, thanks to everyone for your replies ...

ANNE: Thanks for explaining the RCE. I went back and double checked. No red dot.

ALAN: No other siblings. But you're right, the 1911 census isn't that far off.

ANNETTE: She was from (9 Mid Street), Mossend, parish of West Calder, county of Edinburgh.

Thanks!

Rob

[Anne H]

Hi Rob,

It’s too bad your grandmother wasn’t given a middle name. You’ll often find an illegitimate child has been given the father’s surname as a middle name.

Another thought… did you check the 1901 census for her mother’s whereabouts? Whilst your grandmother wasn’t born until 1902, her mother would be on the 1901 census and there’s always the possibility that she might have been cohabitating with the father at that time…you never know…I’ve had a couple of leads going that route myself!

Regards,
Anne H