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Is it possible?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by dawns63 (U2026872) on Friday, 7th October 2005

  I have a birth certificate for a Percy Simpkin born in 1897 im Meanwood Yorkshire. On the cert it says mothers name was Clara Simpkin no father's name is recorded. Would she have had to state her maiden name if she had one or would this not matter? I have noticed on other birth certs it says 'formally and then gives maiden name'.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by TwoBitTwoBit (U1573417) on Friday, 7th October 2005

  To be honest it sounds like Simpkin was her married name but her birth surname - by which I mean she was unmarried and Percy Simpkin was illegitimate.
  
  Both my grandparents were illegitimate and took their mother's birth surname. In both instances their father is not recorded on the certificates and after making enquiries I understand it was common practice for the registrar not to include the father of an illegitimate child on the documents.
  
  Obviously this creates problems for a family historian in that a whole branch of your family is undiscoverable (assuming of course that you do not know the identity of the father by other means - for example, a later marriage or someone with a living memory).

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by TwoBitTwoBit (U1573417) on Friday, 7th October 2005

  Sorry, the first line of my post should state 'was not her married name'.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Linda1111 (U1103093) on Friday, 7th October 2005

  If a child is illegitmate the only way that the father's name and details can be included on the birth certificate is if the father attends the registration with the child's mother or makes a statutory declaration, in a specific form directed by the GRO and sworn before a solicitor or similar.
  
  If there is no father's name on the birth certificate then you can assume in confidence that the child is illegitimate.
  
  If a woman is married when registering a child then her former names will be recorded, as the registrar was and is obliged by law to ask the mother for details of any names she has been known by. My Grandmother, a woman not of her times, who not only lied about her age every time she got married, also took great delight in having so many former names as to makes the boxes on the birth certificate seem minuscule.
  
  Of course there is nothing to stop a woman giving her illegitimate child the fathers surname either as a second name or as a surname. You can register your child under any surname that takes your fancy. Could be lethal in the wrong hands! However, even if she did take this course of action the father's details boxes would remain blank.

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