Genealogy Chat

Please see below....

Hi all, What does everyone think? I have the birth cert for Emma Davis bn 18th Jan 1848 in Rushall Wiltshire with no father named. I have a marriage cert for Emma Strong Davis marrying Robert Wells 27th July 1870 at Rushall Parish Church. Father is shown as Morris Strong and Emma has added the name Strong to her name. Can it happen that the father's name is now mentioned on the marriage cert but not on the birth cert?... Emma was born in the workhouse and lived with her mother and grandparents... Thanks, Sue Update.... just thought this may be relevent... her mother died in 1855, so perhaps her father then came forward?

could be her, in order to avoid any embarrasment of being illegement or it could be another person - bearing in mind Davies is quite a common name. How many Davies live in the same area?

Hi Louise, Thanks for your thoughts.. Rushall is a very very small village in Wiltshire, the only Davis's that lived there were my relations. Although other Davis families lived in the surrounding villages (haven't conected them all up yet) . yes the Davis name is not that rare! but I've been lucky that they all come from a tiny village.. Sue

Maybe it was ccepted that he was the father, but he didn't go to the reg office with the mother for the birth reg, so his name couldn't go on the cert. You need to source her baptism entry (not IGI - full transcript or copy of the real page!) and see if the vicar has recorded a ''reputed father''. Also there might be a bastardy order made against him....this might be at the Wilts record office. Merry

Thanks Merry... I will do that, didn't realise that the father may be mention on the baptism register. I feel very sorry for Emma's mother, Ellen. She was sent to the workhouse for the birth of Emma, then they lived with Ellens parents. Ellen then went on to have another child, Elizabeth (no father on birth cert again!). Then Ellen died 2 years later, so apart from 2 'incidents' didn't seem to have a very happy life!...lol Sue

Sue It's always a bit 'hit and miss' with what those vicars recorded. One set of baptism records that I viewed locally for someone on GC had a father name for EVERY illegitimate child baptised. ............ I guess he didn't want the parish to have to support them! Hope you are lucky.

Thanks Gwyn, not sure how soon I can get to the records office - got to wait for hubby to take me! But think this will be the only way to find out for sure.. It seems that I dont live anywhere near where all my relatives were! They are spread all over the country...thank heavens for the internet!! Sue

It would also be worth looking to see if Morris Strong left a will, as it might explain more about Emma etc. Kate.

Thanks for that Kate....Just been looking to see where the records office is... Seems its in Trowbridge. Would they have a record of wills and Bastardly orders there?...Sry if thats a dumb question...but only been at this lark for 6 months!...and yes I'm hooked...lol Sue