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Subject: Re: [TGF] Surname question for illegimate children
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2011 05:29:23 +1000 (EST)
Linda reading information you have given what evidence have you to prove that George was the son of this couple?
A child born after father deceased/still married may have been registered without a father's name or not even registered by mother in fear of retribution.
Some authorities may have refused to register child under mother's name if they knew her by another name.
William may have become the surrogate father/or the person to emulate in name as well as in life.
I assume you checked for other first names for George for time when he was born? Also other mother's names? Oh yes, have you gone back 5yrs more than maximum you thought possible. My Irish ancestors all were found to be 8yrs older than ALL Australian certificates for all three of them going on their birth/christening records. I went back 5yrs without success and on a last ditch effort tried for 10yrs either side.
Parents lied, registered late and altered ages to evade fines. No one asked to SEE the child did they at time of Registration?
Of course there is the other possibility that he is the child of neither Frances or William but a sister/brother's child raised and said to be son of Frances. eg William's sister's or even his mother's love child unable to be taken home after birth but indeed Sullivan by blood.
Or he was one of many children born to Frances of different fathers if you get my drift. William was there too so in our modern society was he her de facto or her street boss thus explaining the concubine label?
If marriage certificate is only evidence you have then you can only say that at time of his marriage George gave William to be his father. If William was a witness at marriage then it is likely he was indeed the blood father or happy to be known as George's father.
If you find William alive with same occupation as stated on certificate( if one listed) then this would back Marriage certificate evidence at least.
If you have researched all above possibilities and come up empty handed still at least you/client know you did all you could and at the end of the day the best you can say is George believed he was a Sullivan for reasons only he knows.
If for a client then you list your research path and rationale for them to assess and perhaps trip their memory into revealing a family scrap of information previously thought to be irrelevant but now the key to the story.
Good luck
Suzanne Newton
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