Hi Jane I think I have solved your mystery. Harold S SPROSON birth reg, as you say in 1911 Chorlton, According to British Columbia Death Index 1872-1990, Harold Stott SPROSON died 8 Sep 1878, New Westminster, BC, Canada aged 67. So with that information - (see my earlier e-mail) - I believe that Bertha's maiden name was STOTT but she married under her previous surname HALL. There is a marriage of Albert HALL to Bertha STOTT 1903 Dec Q, Prestwich. If Bertha was still married to Albert this may be why she put 7 years as being married (ie to Albert). Harold sailed for Canada on 14 Apr 1930 aged 19 - details of his father tally with 1911 census. Lin On 15/06/2012 22:01, Jane Woodall wrote: > Hi folks > > Just wondering – when registering a birth c 1910-1915 – did the parent have to produce a marriage certificate to prove the child was not illegitimate? > > I’m trying to help a friend trace her family tree in Manchester. Her great grandfather Arthur Sproson is on the 1911 census with ‘wife’ Bertha and baby Harold saying they had been married a year. Harold was registered in 1910 as Hall, Bertha’s maiden name and the couple didn’t actually marry until 1915. > > Bertha died in 1921 and Arthur remarried to Louisa Kilpatrick, who had an illegitimate daughter Nora Kilpatrick around 1906. Arthur and Louisa soon had a son Albert – and in addition to Harold and Louisa’s daughter, he had two other half-siblings Ida and Arthur. The only ones I can find are Ida and Arthur Sproson, 1912 and 1915 – mother’s maiden name Stott... but I can’t find a Sproson –Stott marriage. There are two Stott women in Prestwich in the 1911 census – one I can find a marriage for, the other, Sybil, I can’t find a marriage for. > > As Arthur and Bertha didn’t marry till 1915, it is possible he left her and had two children with the Stott lady... but am I right in thinking as they were registered as Sproson the parents must have been married and proved that when registering them? Or could Sybil?? Stott go along and claim to be Mrs Sproson and register the two children under their father’s name? > > Hope that makes sense""! > > thanks in anticipation > > Jane > > ..... > Ancestors in Yorkshire? http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/index.html; > www.ryedalefamilyhistory.org; www.wharfedalefhg.org.uk; > www.yorkshireparishregisters.com; www.yorkshireroots.org.uk; > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to YORKSGEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

thank you so much - that really clears up the mystery! I think you're also right about the two brothers going to Canada. thanks again! Jane -----Original Message----- From: Lin Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2012 9:45 PM To: yorksgen@rootsweb.com ; Jane Woodall Subject: Re: [YORKSGEN] Query about registering a birth Hi Jane I think I have solved your mystery. Harold S SPROSON birth reg, as you say in 1911 Chorlton, According to British Columbia Death Index 1872-1990, Harold Stott SPROSON died 8 Sep 1878, New Westminster, BC, Canada aged 67. So with that information - (see my earlier e-mail) - I believe that Bertha's maiden name was STOTT but she married under her previous surname HALL. There is a marriage of Albert HALL to Bertha STOTT 1903 Dec Q, Prestwich. If Bertha was still married to Albert this may be why she put 7 years as being married (ie to Albert). Harold sailed for Canada on 14 Apr 1930 aged 19 - details of his father tally with 1911 census. Lin On 15/06/2012 22:01, Jane Woodall wrote: > Hi folks > > Just wondering – when registering a birth c 1910-1915 – did the parent > have to produce a marriage certificate to prove the child was not > illegitimate? > > I’m trying to help a friend trace her family tree in Manchester. Her > great grandfather Arthur Sproson is on the 1911 census with ‘wife’ Bertha > and baby Harold saying they had been married a year. Harold was registered > in 1910 as Hall, Bertha’s maiden name and the couple didn’t actually marry > until 1915. > > Bertha died in 1921 and Arthur remarried to Louisa Kilpatrick, who had an > illegitimate daughter Nora Kilpatrick around 1906. Arthur and Louisa soon > had a son Albert – and in addition to Harold and Louisa’s daughter, he had > two other half-siblings Ida and Arthur. The only ones I can find are Ida > and Arthur Sproson, 1912 and 1915 – mother’s maiden name Stott... but I > can’t find a Sproson –Stott marriage. There are two Stott women in > Prestwich in the 1911 census – one I can find a marriage for, the other, > Sybil, I can’t find a marriage for. > > As Arthur and Bertha didn’t marry till 1915, it is possible he left her > and had two children with the Stott lady... but am I right in thinking as > they were registered as Sproson the parents must have been married and > proved that when registering them? Or could Sybil?? Stott go along and > claim to be Mrs Sproson and register the two children under their father’s > name? > > Hope that makes sense""! > > thanks in anticipation > > Jane > > ..... > Ancestors in Yorkshire? http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/index.html; > www.ryedalefamilyhistory.org; www.wharfedalefhg.org.uk; > www.yorkshireparishregisters.com; www.yorkshireroots.org.uk; > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > YORKSGEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message