Illegitimate children, how to record the Unknown father
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 ?
Best Answer
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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
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@ChrisPyne ChrisPyne
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Chris
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Short Answer: 'Yes', there is a convention, where Father of a Child is not known...
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Record NOTHING ...
Leave, the record for the Father, for that Child; as, "Blank" ...
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In other words ... DO NOT "Create" an individual/person for the Father ...
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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
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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.
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And ...
As to those "Notes" ...
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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 ... ].
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The SAME "Note" can be added in ALL the following:
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▬ Life Sketch;
▬ Other Information
▬ ▬ Facts
▬ ▬ ▬ Custom Fact; and,
▬ Collaboration, both,
▬ ▬ Notes; and,
▬ ▬ Discussions
........ [ "Discussions" currently CANNOT be "Deleted"/"Removed" by others ]
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It may seem OVERKILL ...
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But ...
That said ...
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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' ]
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Just my thoughts.
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Brett
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