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Illegitimate children, how to record the Unknown father

ChrisPyne
ChrisPyne ✭
February 25, 2021 edited July 22, 2024 in Family Tree

Is there a convention for completing the father's record when it is certain that the father's name was not recorded on the birth certificate/registration?

Should it be left blank?

"Not known" / "Not Recorded"?

to distinguish it from the default state of Unknown when you have not done any research ?

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Best Answer

  • DeborahCarl
    DeborahCarl ✭✭✭
    March 21, 2021 Answer ✓

    Leave the father's name blank. I would put an explanation into the child's birth field under Reasons This Information is Correct.

    For example you might write - Father's name not listed on birth record. This tells future researchers you looked at the original record and that the field was left blank.

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Answers

  • Brett .
    Brett . ✭✭✭✭✭
    February 25, 2021

    @ChrisPyne ChrisPyne​ 

    .

    Chris

    .

    Short Answer: 'Yes', there is a convention, where Father of a Child is not known...

    .

    Record NOTHING ...

    Leave, the record for the Father, for that Child; as, "Blank" ...

    .

    In other words ... DO NOT "Create" an individual/person for the Father ...

    .

    And, especially, DO NOT "Create" an individual/person for the Father with the "Name(s)" of:

    ▬  Unknown

    ▬  Not Known

    ▬  Not Recorded

    ▬  ?

    or, any such like

    .

    IF, you feel that you would like to indicate/record, that you have done your "Due Diligence"; and, research indicates that, NO Father is recorded for the Child; THEN, by all means, do so; but, as "Notes" against the Child (and, possibly, the Mother of the Child), that is more than acceptable; and, in fact, would be the right thing to do for the benefit of other Users/Patrons, who come across the Family.

    .

    And ...

    As to those "Notes" ...

    .

    Can I humbly suggest that you add copious "Notes", EVERYWHERE you can, against the Child (and, Mother of the Child) to the particular circumstances [ ie. Father of Child is not known ... ].

    .

    The SAME "Note" can be added in ALL the following:

    .

    ▬ Life Sketch;

    ▬ Other Information

    ▬ ▬ Facts

    ▬ ▬ ▬ Custom Fact; and,

    ▬ Collaboration, both,

    ▬ ▬ Notes; and,

    ▬ ▬ Discussions

    ........ [ "Discussions" currently CANNOT be "Deleted"/"Removed" by others ]

    .

    It may seem OVERKILL ...

    .

    But ...

    That said ...

    .

    That way, you 'cover all the bases' ...

    And, NO User/Patron can say that they "Missed that" ...

    [ Unfortunately, some will; but, you cannot make it 'foolproof' ]

    .

    Just my thoughts.

    .

    Brett

    .

     

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