John Smith?

[geno]

My ancestor was born illegitamately in a workhouse in Marylebone London. On his baptism record his father is put as John Smith a cook. His birth is registered under his mothers maiden name, but a few years later his mother marries and for the rest of his life he uses his stepfathers surname. I was just wondering whether the name John Smith is ever used in a scenario when the mother doesn't wish to name the father.

[Peter Goodey]

On his baptism record...

What were the circumstances of his baptism? Workhouse chapel/ workhouse chaplain or standard church and vicar?


His birth is registered under his mothers maiden name

What do you mean? Do you mean that no father's name is shown on the birth certificate in column 4?

What did he use as father's name on his marriage certificate?

John Smith is of course the archetypal invented name. Or perhaps it was her favourite beer :biggrin:

[geno]

At the top of the baptism record it says 'Baptism solemnized in the workhouse of the parish of St. Marylebone'. The mothers name is put first and the abode of everyone on the record is put as workhouse. There is also another record of this baptism, it has all the same people on, however the abode is not registered, possibly because it is a workhouse record and not neccesary. Here is were the fathers occupation is identified as a cook.

I haven't got his birth certificate yet, but it's on my to do list.
On his marriage certificate he puts his stepfathers name. I don't know whether this is because he believed he was his biological father (his mother did marry when he was young) or saw him as his father.

And of course there are many people who are called John Smith and his father may have been one of them.