Genealogy Chat

Hello, I recently discovered my Uncle didn't think his eldest sister Grace was the child of his father Bruce. I know she was born before my Grandparents were married but all the people involved are dead so no-one to ask. Decided to get birth cert to see if Bruce was named as father. Looked on freebmd to get GRO ref. Searched for Grace Gledhill 1915. This produced 2 results one as I expected for 1915 and one for s/27, which I discovered meant late registration in 1927. Confusing! Then I thought if Lydia and Bruce weren't married when Grace was born, she should have been registered in my Grandmother's maiden name. So I searched for that and lo and behold there was an entry for Grace Gladwin, but with the same GRO ref as the 1915 entry. Decided to send for all 3 to see what was going on. Went on GRO site to buy them but they only have a record of the 1927 entry, even when I put the GRO ref in for the other 2. Can anyone please explain how that can be? I have sent for the 1927 one, but not sure it will help on its own TIA

I'm not certain but I think that if a birth is re-registered at a later date that only the later certificate will ever be issued even if you were to use the earlier reference. I think in this case either your grandfather admitted paternity at the later date or he adopted the child.

I know someone whose birth was re-registered when she was 13 (her parents were married to other people wen she was born) and she was re-registered when her parents divorced their previous partners and married each other.

EDIT - As it happens I have just added an amendment to my brother's death certificate because the person who had registered the death assumed that he was named after his father with a middle name but I was able to prove that he didn't have a middle name. I was told that anyone ordering his death certificate in the future will get the amended certificate.

Kath. x

I agree with Kath.

The apparent two 1915 registrations would be just one registration, but listed with her mother's two alternate surnames - her own, because she wasn't married, and also Grace's father's name, because she was living with him and using his name.

The 1927 entry is because some change was made to the details given in 1915 - perhaps naming the father if he hadn't been named in 1915, or perhaps confirming Gledhill as Grace's name, or changing the info re Grace's mother, as she had married since the birth.

GRO does have the 1915 Gladwin record:

GLADWIN, GRACE -
GRO Reference: 1915 D Quarter in CHORLTON Volume 08C Page 1364 Occasional Copy: A

The GRO site won't list the Gledhill version because it's the same record, but just with Gledhill as an alternative name.

If the parents of an illegitimate child later marry it will legitimise the child and the cert can be modified so looking they were married at the time of birth

Quote
The Legitimacy Act 1926 enabled a child to be classed as ‘legitimate’ as long as their parents married after their birth (provided that they had not been married to someone else at the time of conception) and provided the parents re-registered the child’s birth after marriage so that the same is evidenced on the child’s birth certificate.

Thank you to everyone who responded. Seems my Grandfather was acknowledging my Aunt .as his child so the Birth certificate won't shed any light from what you are all saying. I had wondered why wait till 1927 to amend the certificate. Maybe the Legitimacy Act in 1926 was the reason, so thank you for that info. I now need to find his Merchant Navy records to see if he was in the Country 9 months previous to the birth, then I can be as sure as I can be. Thanks again.

Grace and her family are in a large tree on ANC.
For dob the records attached include the 1939 Register wherein birth shows as 24 Sep 1915, and an added (married) surname of Randle.
Have you considered checking the marriage certificate for father's name? 1943 per the tree.

Does 'ANC' refer to the Ancestry website?

1921 records Grace as Bruce's daughter - no doubt she would have given his name as her father when she married.

Bruce married her mother in OND 1915, very shorty after Grace's birth.

You say Bruce was in the Merchant Navy.

Looks like he was in the Army:

Bruce Gledhill
in the UK, World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
Name: Bruce Gledhill
Rank: Private
Record Type: Card
Service Number: 447901
Corps, Regiment or Unit: Labour Corps
Title: WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers
Description: Widows and Dependents of Other Ranks Died Glanlin J-Goddard W
Next of Kin:
Name Relation to Soldier
Bruce Gledhill
Lydia Gledhill Widow


Lydia wasn't actually his widow, obviously - just potential widow.
Named as NOK in case he died.

His full army record seems to be one of the many which haven't survived.

Prior to being in the Labour Corps he was with the King's Liverpool Regiment:

Bruce Gledhill
in the UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
Name: Bruce Gledhill
Military Date: 1914-1920
Military Place: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, United Kingdom
Regiment or Corps: The King's (Liverpool) Regiment, Labour Corps
Regimental Number: 13929, 447901

This record says he served in France, from 6 July 1915.


Must have been on leave, or at least back from France for some reason, if he married in England in Oct/Nov/Dec 1915.
Maybe he wasn't in France for long before being wounded/ill enough to warrant his transfer to the Labour Corps.

Do you have his marriage cert?