Would the child of an unmarried couple HAVE to be given the last name of the father?.................FINALLY got some info on my great grandmother-she never married grandmas daddy! So here I was, looking for the birth/baptism cert.s on Mary Curley, when maybe I should have searched for Mary Riley!...and I was searching for Marys mom, Ellen (Riley) Curley, who actually was Ellen Curley her entire life! >SIGH< Rose "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist---" Last words of union General John Sedgwick, shot in battle 1864

Hi All. Rose that is a good question?? Also on Birth Certificates?? Back in those days was the father named or were all written as unknown , if not wed?? I have been on many list and been doing genealogy over 20 years and this question has never arisen.. I was a God Parent in the late 1940's for an unwed mother.. Although she knew the father, the birth record had Father: Unknown. and of course the child carried her maiden name. (think this was the norm back then?? ) The priest had not noticed till after the Baptism was over and we were back in the car and he came running out wanting to talk with us.,we presumed . :) The Godparents (2) and Mother was with us.. However when my hubby , the driver , saw him (the Priest alight) he quickly drove off! :) Other than that experience, I do not have a answer to this question?? Does anyone else?? I know in the 17/1800's the names of some (anyway) illegitimate children were named on the birth record. One example is a Pickering. VR'S says see Cook; Cook says see Pickering: So both the Cook and Pickering have the child's name. He died later, so I have no way of knowing whether he would have been a Cook or a Pickering. :) Anyone else have any ideas? Alice

Hi Rose: No not necessarily. The child could carry either the father's name or the mother's. In some cases if the father was listed on the birth certificate, then the child would more than likely take the father's name. If not, then more likely to have the mother's name. Not set in stone. Regards, Alison Franks Archivist, Rawson Family Association ----- Original Message ----- From: "T&R Gowett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 11:59 AM Subject: [MA-MENDON] legal name-1899-1902 > Would the child of an unmarried couple HAVE to be given the last name of > the father?.................FINALLY got some info on my great > grandmother-she never married grandmas daddy! So here I was, looking for > the birth/baptism cert.s on Mary Curley, when maybe I should have > searched for Mary Riley!...and I was searching for Marys mom, Ellen > (Riley) Curley, who actually was Ellen Curley her entire life! >SIGH< > Rose > > "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist---" > Last words of union General John > Sedgwick, shot in battle 1864 > > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.255 / Virus Database: 128 - Release Date: 05/17/2001