Monday, December 6, 2021

AQ-Illegitimate Ancestors


    Researching ones' ancestors can be a frustrating, yet, enjoyable task. For many it is a labor of love, especially adding names to ones' tree, especially those more difficult to find. The fact that searching for ancestors is one of the most reasons individuals search the internet speaks volumes for the gratification received by an ancestral seeker.

    Unfortunately, people a human and sometimes one can run into a family member who was illegitimate. This happened when researching a line a the Family History Library back in the 1990s when this author came across a birth entry with the words "Illigitimate" written accross the entry.


Image curtesy of Scotland Peoples
     
    While it was a bit of a surprise, there was additional information in the record to assist in locating the father. Under father, the name had been entered but it was crossed out. In spite of this one could read the entry.


Image curtesy of Scotland Peoples

    Some may say it is only circumstantial evidence, however, the census record listed the mother as a cook in this person's business as a surgeon. The responsibility of taking care of this child fell to the mother as the father ended up joining the military as a doctor (surgeon) and died in Pietermaritzburgh, Natal, South Africa. It was not uncommon to deny culpability, however, the father's will even says nothing about the child he abandoned. His mother made sure he had a good home and was raised well. Life happens, so one does the best they can at the time.  

    He knew who is father was as he is listed in his marriage record, however, not much else is known about what happened to his own mother after she gave her son to her aunt and husband to raise. The mother gave the son the fathers' last name as part of his name to make sure he knew the name of his father. While these things are frustrating and sometimes the fathers' name is blank, it is possible to find out the missing parents' name with a lot of diligent research. Using the hints in Ancestral Quest can aid any research query, be sure to take advantage of it. 

Remember Ancestral Quest is FamilySearch Compatible!


Happy Ancestraling...Claire 





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