Birth Certificate

[tsumi]

Good Morning all,
The practice of putting a child's fathers name on a birth certificate ,before a Marriage of 'both' .Was this always so, or is it a relatively new law,and did the 'father'if not married have to attend if his name was to be added.
Don't want the expense of buying the Birth certificate if no Father added.(Child was born four years before a marriage) in 1919.
Many thanks for your time on a very windy morning.
Tsumi

[Bertieone]

My understanding of it is the father had to be present to have his name included on the birth cert, married or not. I suspect any proof needed would be on both agreeing he was the father.

If the father wasn't present, the mother could give the child the father's surname but the fathers name section would be left blank.

[tsumi]

Bert,I thought that might be the case ,so will resist the temptation to order the Birth Cert ,it's going to be a 'was she or wasn't she'.She died ten years before her 'Dad' did ,but he put her on the Headstone as his Daughter,unless the Mother who succeeded him by one or two years, paid for and ordered the Headstone.
Many Thanks
Tsumi

[MaryA]

I think the way to get the two names on is usually that "Mrs" name was given to the child and "maiden name" added in mother's box, however I believed in the case of a married couple the married father would be listed. Not of course if they weren't - unless he went along to the Register Office himself.

[tsumi]

Hi Mary,
Don't know if the father was the natural father,he had been serving in WW1 and returned home at the end of war,he and the Mum didn't get married until 1923,which begs the question why wait four years after baby was born if he was the Dad.
Looks to me like he wasn't but was fond enough of the girl to call her a daughter.Am going to see if I can find a Baptism see if it sheds any light at all.
Many thanks for your time and knowledge again.