May I suggest that "our" couple had a child when unmarried, the child raised as a foster child or in a home of some kind, until the couple finally were able to marry (were they too young to marry without parental permission?) when the 2nd baby was on the way and they were then able to bring home number 1 child and go on to raise their family, keeping their "secret" by telling a white lie about the marriage year. For the sake of privacy, other family, friends, neighbours then told that they had "taken in" a homeless child!
Just a theory!
((*-*)) Bev Adelaide, South Australia
----- Original Message ----- From: "Paula Ryburn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 6:53 AM
Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] e: Keeping track of adopted names
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)
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