Thank you. I've never heard of bastardy papers. Where would i be able to find them? > Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:08:33 +0100 > From: sparrer@gmail.com > To: karen_staines@hotmail.com > Subject: Re: [Ess] Grandfather named as father on marriage cert? > > Karen Massey wrote: > > > My ancester Sarah Ann Bailey was born in Orsett around 1850 and i > > want to trace her parents. On the census i found her living with > > her grandfather WILLIAM BAILEY but never with her parents. I > > ordered 2 birth certificates that i though it could be, one was > > definatley wrong whilst the other gave the mother as EMMA BAILEY > > and Father as Unknown. William Bailey had a daughter called Emma so > > this is possible. I also ordered Sarah's wedding certificate and > > the father named on it was WILLIAM BAILEY. The grandfather WILLIAM > > also had a son called WILLIAM. Confused yet??!! The second william > > would have only been 14 when Sarah was born. > > > > I think that perhaps her mother was EMMA BAILEY and she gave her > > grandfathers name as her father on the wedding certificate as her > > bought her up. Is this a logical theory? > > > It's perfectly feasible. > > The second certificate would appear to be the correct one. > > Since it was possible for a 14 year old boy to have legally married > with parental consent at that time, there's no reason why he could not > have been a father at that age. However, I think it's highly unlikely > that Sarah was the product of an incestuous relationship between Emma > and her brother William! > > I think you've come up with the correct deduction. The next step will > be to look for any bastardy papers or examinations there may have > been. Look also in the poor law books. I've found a number of > mentions of examinations there which have also named the alleged > father but for which there were no extant bastardy papers. The Petty > Sessions might also produce information. _________________________________________________________________ Make a mini you on Windows Live Messenger! http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/107571437/direct/01/

Essex Record Office reference Q/Rsa 1/6 Mother Emma Bailey 1849 Billericay but putative father is blank. Not Orsett though. Glynis >> >> Karen Massey wrote: >> >> > My ancester Sarah Ann Bailey was born in Orsett around 1850 and i >> > want to trace her parents. On the census i found her living with >> > her grandfather WILLIAM BAILEY but never with her parents. I >> > ordered 2 birth certificates that i though it could be, one was >> > definatley wrong whilst the other gave the mother as EMMA BAILEY >> > and Father as Unknown. William Bailey had a daughter called Emma so >> > this is possible. I also ordered Sarah's wedding certificate and >> > the father named on it was WILLIAM BAILEY. The grandfather WILLIAM >> > also had a son called WILLIAM. Confused yet??!! The second william >> > would have only been 14 when Sarah was born. >> > >> > I think that perhaps her mother was EMMA BAILEY and she gave her >> > grandfathers name as her father on the wedding certificate as her >> > bought her up. Is this a logical theory?