devon coles's

[deanC]

now what can we uncover !!!

my grandfather ernest coles was born 1893 halse somerset
his mother was elizabeth coles b.1868

on his birth cert : under father, samuel shattock b.1872 ,his name has 2 lines thro it .
does this mean that ernest was illigitamate ?

our family name is coles and elizabeth / ernest never used the name shattock.

however we would like to know more !! .

dean

[Jan1954]

Have you checked the parish register, to see the name under which he was christened?

Some parish clerks added handy little notes in the margins, and you may find an entry (such as I have found in a couple of mine...) that reads along the lines of, "Ernest, son of Elizabeth Coles, single woman, purported father Samuel Shattock".

Worth going in search of, I would think... ;)

[bumblebee]

There is a Samuel Shattock born 1872, Taunton, on the census, does Ernest name any one as his father on his marriage certificate.

Bumblebee

[deanC]

yes , but it is his step father (george gibbs jewell ) ,in later years he adopted the middle name george .

[bumblebee]

In 1891 where Elizabeth Cole is working as a servant there are a family of Shattocks next door, perhaps that is where she met Samuel.

Bumblebee

[deanC]

thanks BB , their is a note in the margin ,its not very clear ,i do not have the original ,but i know who has !!!,and i will ask him to check .
i will check the parish reg .
dean

[Peter Goodey]

This is a new copy of the certificate? Not an old one from the family vaults?

The certificate should show an amendment number and the registrar's initials. Is that right?

Was Samuel Shattock down as an informant?

One possibility is that the mother named Shattock as the father and the registrar recorded it but then deleted it because he had not personally admitted it. The Registration Act of 1875 stated: "The putative father of an illegitimate child cannot be required as father to give information respecting the birth. The name, surname and occupation of the putative father of an illegitimate child must not be entered except at the joint request of the father and mother; in which case both the father and mother must sign the entry as informants".

I would advise checking petty session records for an affiliation order.
#

[deanC]

hi peter ,
yes ,i think you are right in the far left hand colume ,before the date and place,the reg.. h.j.pearce has signed again and written 303 next to it.
the informant box has been signed by ann coles .... elizabeth's mother.

dean

[Peter Goodey]

I'm sticking with my suggestion. I've heard of this before and wonder if some registrars liked to name and shame the guilty party but then cross it out so that the register entry conformed to the law.

[benny1982]

Hi

Yes service did come in to play here. I think that Samuel Shattock was the father but as this was after 1875 he had not personally admitted it so the registrar crossed it out.

Ben