Gordon, Did you verify the oldest child's birthdate by obtaining their birth certificate? What names are listed as parents?
Personally, I find it hard to believe that an unmarried couple would together adopt a child (first part of story #2). At least in my lifetime, I'm not sure the courts would allow that...? However, depending on the era, it may well have been acceptable... but wouldn't that mean they were living together, and how often did that happen "back then"? Hmmm... I guess it could also depend on location, proximity to church/parson, etc... I would add all children as natural/biological until you can prove otherwise. And the "stories" could be added to the Marriage in Notes or Events, with the applicable relatives cited as sources. What a fascinating "mystery," though. The kind that keeps you interested in continuing the research! --Paula In one family I am researching there are six children. The parents always told everyone that they were married two years before their actual marriage date and everyone always thought all their children were their biological children. Well everyone in the immediate family thought that anyway. My research uncovered anomalies in the birth dates of the children and the marriage date of the parents. The first child was 2 years old when the parents were married. The second child was born 7 months after they were married. The birth dates of the children and the Marriage date have been verified. I have confronted the only three living relatives that would have knowledge of what happened and have three different stories. 1. The first born was biological to the mother but not the father. (Sister of the mother) 2. The first born was adopted by both parents. The second born was biological to both parents. (Sister to the father) 3. The first and second born were both adopted. (1st cousin to the mother) Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp
