Genealogy Chat

Can anyone suggest how to go about a living (hopefully)relative.
My father died in 2005 and before he died he told me that he had been married before my mother (she died in 1990) when he was in the army in Malta (1953) he divorced his first wife due to adultery and there was a child born in 1954 in Malta. It is obvious due to the nature of the adultery my father believed the child not to be his. Since my fathers passing I sent off for this childs birth certificate and have found that my father is listed as the father. I wanted to see if I could find out if he is still around and if he has our surname and if he thinks my father was his or whether his mother changed his surname to that of the other man. All I have done is to send for the birth cert for the lads mother to try and trace her family back in the hope that someone might be doing their tree and therefore might have detals (clutching at straws really!!) Any help and pointers would be gratefully received!!

cheers
Michelle

Do you think they moved back to the UK?

You will need to trawl through the marriages to see if the mother remarried.

Rose

Rose

Thanks alot for that at least I have another avenue to go down.

The mother is english and married my father who was serving in the army in Malta at the time - she was a secretary at the time (maybe working in the civil service) All my father said was that the "other man" was his best man!! so I'd guess he was also in the Army.

Thanks again

Michelle

If the "other man" was your father's best man at his first marriage, then his name will be on the marriage certificate as a witness.

Kath. x

As a child of a married woman, it would be presumed that the child was her husband's unless the authorities were told otherwise.
I agree with Kath that the witness name may give a clue, in these circumstances, ie marriage overseas with possibly few if any family members present.
I think there is a chance that he is your half brother.... Why would your father mention all this if there was no link.
If you did find the child born in 1954, it would be possible to have a DNA test to see if you were half siblings.

Gwyn

Hi Gwyn and Kath

Thanks so much for your ideas.

I know I should have quizzed my dad further for details but he was dying with lung cancer at the time and I promised myself that I wouldn't research it until he had passed.

My father was in the army in Malta and spent alot of time away from home (months at a time) I know my father would not walk away from a child if he though there was any doubt he was the father so I am guessing that he may have done the maths and worked out that he was away from home when he child was conceived. I have thought about contacting the army for his service record so I might be able to rule that out or not.

I am assuming the child is not his so what concerns me is that the child may have been brought up thinking my father abandoned him. I guess I just want to put the record right and if there is any doubt I would want him to know about my father.It is quite a sensitive issue and one I must handle with care. I shall pursue the mothers details and see if i can trace her family otherwise I shall have to see about getting professional help. I have researched my own family tree for 10 years now and tracing the past I can do standing on my head but tracing the living is a different kettle of fish!!

Thanks again for your thoughts they are very helpful

cheers
Michelle