Family Historian User Group

William Brooks Dowsett was "brought into the congregation" 26 Dec 1812 and listed as a baseborn (illegitimate) child. Through the Toppesfield Overseer of the poor records I am confident that I now have the father; a Geo. Brooks (also named in the accounts of the overseer as George). Overseer also states that he was a surgeon.

I would appreciate any advice on the best way to record this in FH and display on a chart?

The mother Elizabeth Dowsett would appear to marry a Smee later as there are more than one Elizabeth in Toppesfield ( a fellow researcher, Clare, has kindly advised). I say appear because the accounts are showing payments to track people in both Bardfield and "Heddingham" in Essex.

If anybody can assist with where to go regarding researching a person with the occupation of a surgeon in the time frame of 1811 that would very much appreciated.

It is not clear to me what problems you have with recording the details and displaying on a chart.

It seems you believe the parents are George Brooks and Elizabeth Dowsett, and their illegitimate son William Brooks Dowsett was born/baptised on 26 Dec 1812. The parents partnership Status is Never Married. Give George Brooks the Occupation of Surgeon. That is what you should record, with Source Citations of the Toppesfield poor records for those facts.

Add Smee as the 2nd partner of Elizabeth Dowsett with a Marriage Event and Source Citation for that fact.

Whatever you record will appear in the Diagram charts, depending on who you choose as Diagram Root.

Hi Mike,
Where do I set parents partnership status as never married?

Think I am okay with recording and displaying on a chart the other detail thanks to your advice.

For either Individual see their Property Box in Main tab at bottom of Spouses section labelled Status.

You can also right-click on the blue bar under the couples boxes in the Focus Window and select Marriage Status, plus their Family record Main tab has a Status field. BTW: Click that blue bar as a short-cut to any Family record.

By setting to Never Married or Unmarried Couple ensures the Reports don't say they are a married couple, but just had a relationship.

A question I was about to ask too. Many thanks for your answer: solved a couple of my problems.