This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: Sad_Mushroom Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.oceania.australia.vic.general/11673.1.1.1.1.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi, Thanks for that. A few issues though....By 1927 birth and death registration was ABSOLUTELY compulsory. There would be no way for the hospital to hide the birth and absolutely no way to hide a death as a death certificate would have been needed for a burial and I doubt they just buried her in the backyard. I'd say the Private Medical Clinic would have actually been a hospital for unwed mothers. Does the baptism record state a mothers name and/or place of birth etc? Has your grandmother ever applied to VIC BDM using the date given on her baptism record and the place of birth etc or even her mothers name to have a search done for a birth with possible name variants? ((This is totally different than applying for a birth cert using exact details. When applying for a birth cert using exact details ONLY a search for those exact details is carried out)) If her mother died and could not register the birth it may have been recorded by the hospital or by Thomas and might not be the name she is using now. Even though the family may have done everything to hide the affair they could hardly convince the Government/Registrar/Hospital Board/Doctors and the Law to hide all traces just to hide an affair (especially when the father was going to take home the child and raise her anyway) Did Thomas have any sons old enough to be the father? Was pretty common for grandparents to raise grandchildren as their own. As we cannot access births for 1927 in VIC especially for people still living, you would need your grandmother to apply for a search to be done. Explaining there might be a name change/registration issue and using the baptism record might be your best chance at finding the truth. There doesn't appear to be a death reg for May WRIGHT in 1927 but there are marriages in 1929 and 1933 for Doris May WRIGHT's that might be connected. Kellie Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>