Thanks Alice, Robyn and Sandra for your suggestions re what to do with children, taking on their mother's married name, but born up to 6 years prior to their mother's marriage. I thought long and hard about it: I did want to "link" them as a family unit. In the end the package did it for me: it recorded them as "adopted" so I've contended myself with that. Of course, my "notes" give further particulars. Di R. . ----- Original Message ----- From: "Di Randell" <dirandell@optusnet.com.au> To: <AUS-QLD-TOOWOOMBA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 4:36 PM Subject: [AQ-TOOWOOMBA] Children born before Marriage. Practice in genealogy? > Hello list > > Is there a practice, in genealogy, of placing children born to a spinster before her marriage? > > My great grandmother and her brother were born up to 6 years prior to their mother (a spinster) marrying. > > Their is no record of the birth of my great grandmother or her brother.> > Both, however, took on the name of their mother's husband, and claimed him as their father, when they married. Also, on their mother's death certificate (my great great grandmother) they are listed along with the children of the marriage. > > A lot of other people have done this family tree but they have completely ignored the fact that my great great grand mother actually had these two children out of wedlock. > > What is the done thing?> > Thanks for your comments.> > Di. R.