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false details on birth certificates

• Message 1.Μύ

  Posted by steelfamily (U1969850) on Saturday, 3rd September 2005

  We have the birth certificate for my husband's mother who was born in 1926 and subsequently adopted. Further research and some family information suggests that the person we thought was her aunt may actually be her mother.
  
  I suspect that the mother and father (married) shown on the birth certificate may never have existed, as I can not find any birth or marriage certificates for them. Only the "aunt" is shown on the electoral register for the residence address on mother in law's birth certificate.
  
  Can those of you with more experience please tell me whether it is possible that "aunt", who had the same initial and surname as "mother" registered the birth and made up the "mother" and "father" names and details?

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• Message 2

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  Posted by TwoBitTwoBit (U1573417) on Saturday, 3rd September 2005

  I can only speak from my experience with marriage and death certificates but I have found that it appears to be very easy to falsify entries on them.
  
  For example, my great grandmother knocked a full ten years off her age on her marriage certificate from 1926. He age is also wrong on her death certificate from two years later.
  
  My paternal grandparents marriage certificate contains the name of a person who simply never existed under 'groom's father' - I think my grandfather probably made it up to avoid embarassment about his illegitimacy or the possibility he had no idea about the identity of his father.

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  Posted by dmatt74 (U1690430) on Saturday, 3rd September 2005

  It is possible that the aunt was the mother as illegitimacy was something that people thought was shameful and did not want to admit in the 1920s.
  
  Have you found anything in the adpotion papers?, or looked for a baptism?.

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  Posted by alwayssearching (U1987940) on Wednesday, 7th September 2005

  It seems to be quite common to falsify details on certific ates, my first surprise/shock was when starting to research my own family, I found that the information on my parent`s marriage cert was for my father, false, he was actually illegitimate, and stated that his mother was married to the father (she was not) that he surname was the father`s (False) and that my own father had the same name(False) I only found all this out when trying to obtain my father`s birth cert and his mother`s marriage, they did not exist under the name stated, it was not until I used the maiden name of my grandmother that I was able to find the information, so the answer to your question is YES information can be false and it is not questioned.
  
  I also have a gt grandmother who re-married stating she was a widow, when in fact she was NOT
  more false information, my family skeletons have been mounting quite a bit!!

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  Posted by TwoBitTwoBit (U1573417) on Wednesday, 7th September 2005

  Has anyone experienced falsifications on the census returns too?
  
  My maternal great great grandfather gives a different date of birth (age) and place of birth on every single census.
  
  My paternal great great grandmother appears married to be gr gr grandfather in 1861. In 1871 she is listed as living with her children and being widowed with the status of out door paupers. However, in 1881 my 'dead' gr gr grandfather is back living with the family and also appears on the 1891 and 1901 census returns.

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  Posted by Linda1111 (U1103093) on Wednesday, 7th September 2005

  It wasn't always your ancestor that gave the information to the enumerator and so mistakes were often made. I should imagine that there are few of us that have ancestors that have a 'consistent' age on subsequent census.
  
  Don't forget that people often didn't know when and where they were born and didn't care either and also, people had their own reasons for not giving the right age.
  
  Theses aren't falsifications but just natural occurrences and errors when taking into account the lack of literacy of the times and also the way of life.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Grumpysusanna (U2291751) on Sunday, 23rd October 2005

  A word of warning to those searching their family history. I became hooked on my family history some months ago but this has created havoc within the family. I uncovered the fact that both my parents had been married before (a total shock)and that my father had a daughter from his marriage, who we knew nothing of. I am going through very mixed emotions at the moment as I have managed to track down my half sister but have been condeemed by my parents and also several of my siblings who say it is none of my business, never has been and never will be. I realise now my mother was not married to my father at the time of my birth but the my birth certificate would suggest otherwise. This is the case with at least 4 of my other siblings. Is anyone out there experienced anything similar. I was so hooked on my family history but feel it has left a bitter taste in my mouth. It seems to be quite common to falsify details on certific ates, my first surprise/shock was when starting to research my own family, I found that the information on my parent`s marriage cert was for my father, false, he was actually illegitimate, and stated that his mother was married to the father (she was not) that he surname was the father`s (False) and that my own father had the same name(False) I only found all this out when trying to obtain my father`s birth cert and his mother`s marriage, they did not exist under the name stated, it was not until I used the maiden name of my grandmother that I was able to find the information, so the answer to your question is YES information can be false and it is not questioned.
  
  I also have a gt grandmother who re-married stating she was a widow, when in fact she was NOT
  more false information, my family skeletons have been mounting quite a bit!!Μύ

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  Posted by Jowin1 (U1940449) on Sunday, 23rd October 2005

  A word of warning to those searching their family history. I became hooked on my family history some months ago but this has created havoc within the family. I uncovered the fact that both my parents had been married before (a total shock)and that my father had a daughter from his marriage, who we knew nothing of. I am going through very mixed emotions at the moment as I have managed to track down my half sister but have been condeemed by my parents and also several of my siblings who say it is none of my business, never has been and never will be. I realise now my mother was not married to my father at the time of my birth but the my birth certificate would suggest otherwise. This is the case with at least 4 of my other siblings. Is anyone out there experienced anything similar. I was so hooked on my family history but feel it has left a bitter taste in my mouth. It seems to be quite common to falsify details on certific ates, my first surprise/shock was when starting to research my own family, I found that the information on my parent`s marriage cert was for my father, false, he was actually illegitimate, and stated that his mother was married to the father (she was not) that he surname was the father`s (False) and that my own father had the same name(False) I only found all this out when trying to obtain my father`s birth cert and his mother`s marriage, they did not exist under the name stated, it was not until I used the maiden name of my grandmother that I was able to find the information, so the answer to your question is YES information can be false and it is not questioned.
  
  I also have a gt grandmother who re-married stating she was a widow, when in fact she was NOT
  more false information, my family skeletons have been mounting quite a bit!!Μύ Μύ
  
  As a whole, I suspect most of us have skeletons in the closet and most people aren't happy about being told about them. But on average geneology is an exciting and rewarding hobby and we get quite excited when we we find someone else. I found that my G G Grandfather remarried in 1890, whilst in 1891 his first wife was in Durham workhouse with her youngest son. This youngest son had a middle name 'Rowden' which was not his mothers maiden name or any link to his fathers name. So I strongly suspect she had an affair and an illegitimate child though his birth certificate says his dad is my G G Grandfather. My G G G Grandfather was also in the workhouse in the 1850's and he and his wife died there and left 3 children in there. As the eldest child was 16 at the time, I suspect he stayed to care for his little sisters. When someone contacted me about a possible link, they did not respond when I told them that it was the same person and she had been in the workhouse. I think we all want our ancestors to be successful and it is wonderful, when they are. The stigma of being in the workhouse is more acceptable these days but still a little unsettling. Regrettably the workhouse applies to many many of our descendants. Finding a half brother/sister, would I think prompt most people to at least trace them. You should not feel too bad about doing so.

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  Posted by Adam Girdwood (U1688149) on Sunday, 23rd October 2005

  I have found one or two matters that have been hushed up. My Great Great Great Grandmother committed suicide. My Great Great Great Grandmother then married his sister in law three years later. (This was in fact illegal as sisters and brothers in law were not allowed to marry each other until 1908 I think). Even stranger My 4xGreat Aunt who was also my Step-Great Great Great Grandmother died of burning injuries. So my 3x Great Grandfather ended up being widowed twice and having both Wives' deaths investigated by the Procurator Fiscal.
  
  
  In terms of ages I have found them unreliable. One relative is declared as being 44 on the death certificate. However, on the cemetery registes they have become 52! Another relative died aged 78, however, when they were buried two days later they were 70!

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  Posted by TwoBitTwoBit (U1573417) on Sunday, 23rd October 2005

  I started looking into my family tree after my grandparents death largely at the request of my father and my uncle who knew nothing about their parent's early lives or their grandparents. Even I can recall asking them about it while they were alive and them basically avoiding the question or changing the subject. After some research it has now become abundently clear about why that was - both were illegitimate and both lost their only parent at a young age. To be honest I don't think it was so much deliberately not giving information - I think they were as in the dark as I am and embarassed by their lack of knowledge. Indeed, my grandfather made up a 'father' on their marriage certificate. I am even beginning to suspect that it is possible that some siblings were in fact half-siblings (though I have no evidence at all, and probably never will).
  
  As for the effect on families - all the info I have found has strictly stayed within the family members who would be interested. If I did find anything scandalous about any living relatives I would simply keep it to myself - my hobby isn't about poking into other people's private lives, stirring up bother or tracking down new relatives.

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