Family surname mystery

[DuckDodgers]

Hi all,
My biggest problem and a mystery to my family is our surname. My grandfather was illegitimate, no fathers name. On his birth certificate his mothers name is Ellen Maria Allen, but he is given the suranme of Plowman. Is this a clue to his father. We're going to try the local baptism records, this may be another dead end because I think he was born in the Staines Union Workhouse and these records are closed at the moment. Has anyone else come across this, its very frustrating to come up againt this so early in the tree.

Thanks

Ian P.

[Peter Goodey]

I think he was born in the Staines Union Workhouse and these records are closed at the moment.

That's where you need to look.

I'd thought I'd covered the "CLOSED" business yesterday. You have a legal right under Freedom of Information legislation to know whether your ancestor is shown as having been born there. You may need clearance from the NHS but approach the LMA in the first instance.

[DuckDodgers]

That's where you need to look.

I'd thought I'd covered the "CLOSED" business yesterday. You have a legal right under Freedom of Information legislation to know whether your ancestor is shown as having been born there. You may need clearance from the NHS but approach the LMA in the first instance.

Thanks Peter.

I visited the LMA earlier today, I asked them about the Staines Union Workhose, they confirmed the records are closed to the public. But we can write to them asking for information on a particular indivdual, as long as we can prove the individual is nolonger alive.

Ian P.

[Peter Goodey]

I visited the LMA earlier today

The place was heaving when I was there earlier on in the week. I guess a lot of people are trying to get stuff done before the builders come in