Genealogy Chat

HI everyone, If someone was illegitimate (1852) is it possible that when they came to get married they may have given an incorrect fathers name?.Could my GG grandmother have put her grandad's name to make things look more acceptable? Any Thoughts ?
thanks christine

Hi Christine

No, not always

My G/dads was illegitimate but on his M/C his dads was down as Charles. On the 1901 my G/dad, his mum &his sister were with a man called Charles and my G/dad was down as son.

We will never be 100% sure Charles is the dad, but Charles did marry my Gt G/mother a few years later

Julie

Thankyou all for your thoughts. My G G GRANDMOTHER has signed the marriage cert so i don't think she was illiterate. It states her father was a Coachman (funny thing to make up) aNYWAY back to the drawing board to try and find a John lane who was a coachman! best wishes christine

Errors and white lies abound. The information on the certificate is only what the person said at the time. Nothing was checked.

Thanks Peter. MY PLOT has thickened! My GG GRANDMOTHER WAS elizabeth lane born 1852 in shrewsbury(?) i have 2 possible elizabeths. one in shrewsbury whose mother is a caroline lane 1822 or one living in linslade buckinghamshire whose father is a john who is a coachman! This is giving me a Headache !!! Chris

Do the names of your gg grandmother's children give any clues to who her mother was? Quite often a woman would call her first daughter after her mother in those days, so that could help decide which family is yours.

Yes, lots of white lies on marriage certificates - even I gave my bridesmaid's address instead of my own so I could marry in the church I wanted to, tut, tut !!

Kath. x

My great grandmother has her "father's" name & occupation on her marriage certificate, but all the evidence from Censuses would indicate that he was actually her grandfather. Its reassuring to find someone else has the same situation as I was beginning to think it wouldn't happen.
Pat