Rebecca Small/ Norwich - Birth Cert?

[Cockney-Sparra]

Hi all, me...again

I've been searching for my Paternal Gt Gt Grandmother's birth cert for ages.

She was born Rebecca Small abt 1843, Norwich, Norfolk, the illegitimate daughter of Isabella Small b. 1822 Norfolk.

Her mother married Robert Blackburn in 1846 and Rebecca took his name in the following census records.
She married as Rebecca Small in 1860 (spouse - Edwin Charles Johnson), the father's name was left blank on the cert.

I'd love to find who her biological father was, as that's a whole new line of my ancestry

The only birth reg I can find for a Rebecca Small in the right year range is a birth registered in Farnham, Surrey...Rebecca Small - 1843 - Jan/Feb/Mar qtr - No maiden name for the mother, so, I assume this Rebecca is Illegitimate, too..

I'm wondering if my Isabella was sent away to (Farnham) to have her baby? (I believe this sort of thing did happen back in the day)
Is it worth me ordering the cert? Will it be able to enlighten me at all? Or is it a waste of time and money?

What do you think?

[maesglas/ssclub]

Hi, there are 3 Rebecca Smalls born about that year, but only one without a mothers maiden name Mar 1843 Farnham Suffolk V04 Page 148, but I cant see you finding out any more info, unless it states on the Certificate an Address, which they some times do, I had one recently when I found out the child was born in a Workhouse, best of luck.

Robert

[Jomot1]

It's possible that her birth wasn't registered - until 1874 it was the registrar's responsibility, not the parents, and around 15% of all births are believed to have gone unregistered during this period.

The Rebecca Small in Farnham may have been baptised in Frensham on 19 Mar 1843 as Ann Rebecca (Frensham is in the Farnham RD).

If you are only wanting the certificate to find out who the father was, then it's unlikely to help as the father will not be named unless the birth was registered under the father's surname (ie as if they were married). I've checked all Rebecca's registered in Norwich over the relevant period and can't find one with the mmn Small.

[Cockney-Sparra]

Hi, there are 3 Rebecca Smalls born about that year, but only one without a mothers maiden name Mar 1843 Farnham Suffolk V04 Page 148, but I cant see you finding out any more info, unless it states on the Certificate an Address, which they some times do, I had one recently when I found out the child was born in a Workhouse, best of luck.

Robert

Hi Robert,
I thought it was a bit of a long shot but I thought it might mention Norwich on the cert. It is unlikely the father was named, as Rebecca never named him on marriage cert, I assume she never knew who he was.

It's a shame because it does leave a line of my ancestry that I'll not be able to follow up.

Thanks again..

[Cockney-Sparra]

It's possible that her birth wasn't registered - until 1874 it was the registrar's responsibility, not the parents, and around 15% of all births are believed to have gone unregistered during this period.

The Rebecca Small in Farnham may have been baptised in Frensham on 19 Mar 1843 as Ann Rebecca (Frensham is in the Farnham RD).

If you are only wanting the certificate to find out who the father was, then it's unlikely to help as the father will not be named unless the birth was registered under the father's surname (ie as if they were married). I've checked all Rebecca's registered in Norwich over the relevant period and can't find one with the mmn Small.

Thank you for the info, I never knew that about the registrations. Only that it was law from 1837 to register them.

I have a baptism and a birth cert of an ancestor where the birth dates don't match but all other details do.
The birth cert gives dob as 24th Sept 1837 (the birth registered on the 28th sept) and the 1844 baptism has a note in the margin "born 10th June 1837" -
I thought maybe the mother fibbed about dob when registering as she'd gone over the 6 week period to register and didn't want to get into trouble for breaking the law.

Was that not the case that you had to register births in 6 weeks, back then?

[Jomot1]

The birth was supposed to be registered within 15 days. I've attached links to the legislation from 1836 and 1874, but the key points from the original Act are below (I've put ... where I've removed 'waffle'):

18. every Registrar .....is hereby required to inform himself carefully of every Birth and every Death which shall happen, within his District …. and to learn and register as soon after the event as conveniently may be done

20. the Father or Mother of every Child born in England ….or in case of the death, illness, absence or inability of the Father and Mother, the Occupier of the House or Tenement in which such Child shall have been born, shall within Fifteen Days ….give information, upon being requested so to do, to the said Registrar, according to the best of his or her knowledge and belief….

22. after the expiration of Fifteen Days following the day of the Birth of any Child, it shall not be lawful …..to register such Birth, save as … it shall be lawful for any Person present at the Birth of such Child, at any time within Six calendar Months next after the Birth, on production of the Child ….to declare upon oath… the particulars required to be known….

23. after the expiration of Six calendar Months following the day of the Birth of any Child, it shall not be lawful for any Registrar to register the Birth of such Child…….

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1836_...ges_in_England

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/...-38/88/enacted

[Cockney-Sparra]

The birth was supposed to be registered within 15 days. I've attached links to the legislation from 1836 and 1874, but the key points from the original Act are below (I've put ... where I've removed 'waffle'):

18. every Registrar .....is hereby required to inform himself carefully of every Birth and every Death which shall happen, within his District …. and to learn and register as soon after the event as conveniently may be done

20. the Father or Mother of every Child born in England ….or in case of the death, illness, absence or inability of the Father and Mother, the Occupier of the House or Tenement in which such Child shall have been born, shall within Fifteen Days ….give information, upon being requested so to do, to the said Registrar, according to the best of his or her knowledge and belief….

22. after the expiration of Fifteen Days following the day of the Birth of any Child, it shall not be lawful …..to register such Birth, save as … it shall be lawful for any Person present at the Birth of such Child, at any time within Six calendar Months next after the Birth, on production of the Child ….to declare upon oath… the particulars required to be known….

23. after the expiration of Six calendar Months following the day of the Birth of any Child, it shall not be lawful for any Registrar to register the Birth of such Child…….

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1836_...ges_in_England

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/...-38/88/enacted

Thank you very much :-)