Wrong Side of the Blanket

[Andy]

You know how frustrating it is to find a birth certificate without a father! I've been in this game a LONG time but believe I've tracked down an unnamed father.

I've been researching family lines for a pal. One of his Great-Great Grandfather was a serial Philanderer. He lived with, but never married a woman who produced 6 children. However, on one census return from 1871 another son was born in Glsgow who was 6 years older than the rest. Born about 1856.

The other children were born from 1864 in Greenock. Their Mother wasn't old enough to have the eldest son.

Couldn't find the son in the 1861 census so looked for all Williams born about 1856 in or around Glasgow. I cross referenced these to Williams in the 1861 census. Found five Williams that were staying with a single Mother, boarding or in an institution. Managed to narrow it down to three possibilities. Found two in the 1871 census with the same families and then checked for deaths of the Mother between 1864 and 1871. Found her death in 1867 and the informant was a "Close Acquaintance" from the same address in Greenock in which he, and his other family, was living. Think this is proof positive!

[SarahND]

Great detective work, Andy! So nice when it works out like that. I've got a similar situation with a gg grandmother, but in that case it is only the father who is known (he brought her up) and have had no luck finding the mother. But this was before statutory registration so I may never find out who she was.

All the best,
sarah