Illegitimate children, how to record the Unknown father

ChrisPyne

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 ?

DeborahCarl

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.

Brett .

@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

.