An absorbing topic and one that has made me think about my own ggg/parents. My ggm married in 1840 but when I got the 1851 census it indicated that she had a child in 1838. As the subsequent censuses were available the first born was still there at a birth year of 1838. I eventually obtained his birth certificate which indicated that he was born in Queen Charlotte's Lying in Hospital. He had no '1st name'except 'Boy' but had his mother's surname ....... no father stated. I have never found his mother's birth details although all the censuses indicated 1811 in Wiltshire but the actual place was indistinct except for the 1871 where,with the help of subscribers to this list, it turned out to be Penknap. With this information it was possible at least to form an opinion as to her situation. It turns out that the family were strict Baptists and I suspect that perhaps her parents were not too happy with her predicament and/or she was disillusioned with life as a Baptist. The fact that I have never found her birth detail is,as I understand it, that Baptists do not baptise until the child is more mature even adult ........ perhaps she was never baptised ..... who knows?. I do know this though ......... all her children had an upbringing in the Church of England as did most of her grandchildren. I choose to think that her 1st born was by the man she married in 1840 and that circumstances like poverty and similar were the main reason for the delay in that marriage. Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Janette Smith" <janette5@blueyonder.co.uk> To: <eng-wiltshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 5:00 AM Subject: Re: [ENG-WILTSHIRE] unknown father > Hi Robin, > > I've found that in such cases some of my family had middle names, > especially > in Scotland, which turned out to be the father's name. Also on any poor > law > or parish claims that might have been made for the child. > > Also, My ggmother had an older sister christened in the mother's name, but > who appears in the 1871 census under the fathers name. > > Good luck > > > > Janette (looking for Carpenters and Presleys,) > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ENG-WILTSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.2/442 - Release Date: 8/09/2006 > >