Mel Pettit <mel.pettit@btinternet.com> wrote: > Hi, > I wonder if anybody can help with a bit of a problem I have. My > great-grandmother, Susanna Pettit, had three kids , all illegitimate. > The eldest was my grandfather, Horace William Pettit, born in the > workhouse at Nacton. His birth is documented and I have the > certificate. The middle child John Victor Pettit was born in > Pettistree, and I have his birth certificate. There then followed a > gap of 7 years before the youngest, William Pettit was born, also in > Pettistree. I simply cannot find any records relating to his birth; > the only entry that exists for a William Pettit is for a different > person. I've tried spelling variations, going 5 years either side of > 1882 etc but nothing shows. > My great-grandmother was without doubt a bit of a rebel. I'm wondering, > even though she registered the birth of her two previous children, that > she just didn't bother with William. Is that likely around 1882? Were > there not penalties for not registering the birth? Taking a quick look at the GRO Index for the Woodbridge Registration District where Pettistree births would be registered, there is a George William Pettitt registered in the second quarter of 1881. Perhaps his first name was dropped by the family! There are no other William's in the period 1875-1885 apart from Ralph William Pettitt registered 3rd quarter 1877 and Arthur William Pettitt registered 2nd quarter 1878. Brian