Illegitimate birth recording

millytj · Post by **millytj** » 27 Jul 2009 10:06

How can I 'unlink' a child from the wrong father whilst retaining the correct link to the mother? The child was illegitimate with father unamed. FHv4 shows that although the mother married after the birth of the illegitimate child, her new husband is shown as the father of the illegitimate child in the Focus Window and in the Charts.

ID:3893

gerrynuk · Post by **gerrynuk** » 27 Jul 2009 10:36

Not necesarily the 'official' way to do it but I would create a new spouse for the mother ('Unknown' and marriage status 'Unmarried Couple' or 'Unknown'), unlink the child from the first set of parents and the re-link to the new set.

I would be interested to know if there is a better way.

Gerry

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 27 Jul 2009 11:31

That's the way I would do it Gerry, but I don't bother with a spouse.

I just click on the tab to add a new family to the mother. Then add the child using the existing record option and picking up the child, ignore the warning about the second family as child

Then unlink then child from the original family, or change the relationship of the child to show the correct one.

millytj · Post by **millytj** » 27 Jul 2009 12:43

Many thanks to Gerry and Jane. I shall go with this.
However , Jane, I don't quite follow 'click on the tab to add a new family to the mother' My add tab shows Parent, Spouse, Child, or Unrelated Individual - not 'new family'. Am I in the right place?

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 27 Jul 2009 14:31

This one on the property box.

millytj · Post by **millytj** » 27 Jul 2009 15:24

Many thanks to Jane

EddieA · Post by **EddieA** » 06 Jun 2011 11:57

Hi all
I've had the same problem.
The unknown Parent of an illegitimate child entered as above still shows on the diagram as a blank box - how do I hide the box and yet still show the child's box?
TIA
Eddie

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 06 Jun 2011 15:22

I don't think you can hide the box as it's there to make it obvious there was another relationship to which child belongs.

EddieA · Post by **EddieA** » 06 Jun 2011 15:55

Thanks Jane
A bit unsubtle to have a big empty box though, for families that don't like to advertise this - it kind of exaggerates the fact - more subtle if the child just descended from a single parent.
Eddie

gerrynuk · Post by **gerrynuk** » 06 Jun 2011 16:42

It is safe to assume that the child must have had both a father and a mother so the box is inviting you to search for the missing parent! In the meantime you could just have the missing parent as 'Unknown' and then you can add information as you discover it.

I had an ancestor whose baptism record didn't state either parent - just 'illegitimate'. I despaired of finding either parent until I discovered that she used a very unusual middle name for one of her children. Then I found that a women with the same given name and surnames as the illegitimate child had married a man with the unusual 'middle name'.

Happy hunting!

Gerry

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