Confirmation of possible illegitimacy [closed]

Question

I have a profile for a child born in 1883 living with his uncle in the English Census of 1891 and 1901.  

His uncle would appear to be the only male sibling, and his mother has the same name as the uncles sister.

This, and further research in the family suggests that he may be an illegitimate nephew taken into his uncles household.
I need confirmation that this assumption is correct before I can correctly categorise [[Handley-1258|William Handley]]

Comments

Categorise how?

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There is an Illegitimate category a sub set of family.  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Illegitimate

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I cannot think of why that exists.  If anyone added it to a profile I manage, I would remove it.
I see no genealogical benefit in such a category, and anything regards the "lawful" or otherwise state of a child's birth belongs in the biography. 
Just my Australian

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I agree with Melanie. As she says, the category does not serve any genealogical function on WikiTree. People would not have appreciated being marked as "illegitimate" during their lifetimes, and we should not have such a stigmatising category now.

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His name at birth was Willie, at baptism was Willy, therefore his first name should be Willie (with William as preferred name IF he actually used it) and Willy as nickname.

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Willie's mother, Jane, was born 1862, in Dilwyn, Herefordshire, England, the daughter of Thomas Handley and Sarah Pound (who were married on the 6th May 1858, in Dilwyn, Herefordshire, England).

Willie's uncle Thomas was married to Mary Jane Pettit on the 15th July 1888 in Sutton, Surrey, England.
Older sister, Ann(e) was born 1859, and a younger sister, Fanny, in 1865.

I haven't found Jane in a census after 1871, then she's in the baptismal record for Willie / Willy in 1883.  After 1883 Willie is with Uncle Thomas.
Thomas is in the 1881 census with his parents and sister Fanny.

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For Willie -- Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/241072793/william-handley: accessed 18 September 2022), memorial page for William Handley (unknown–30 Jul 1945), {{FindAGrave|241072793}}, citing St. James' Churchyard, Thorpe Thewles, Stockton-on-Tees Unitary Authority, County Durham, England; Maintained by Edward Nicholl (contributor 47937277).

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I believe I have found Jane.

Jane Handly in the 1891 England Census
Relationship: Servant
Residence Place: Tilley and Trench, Wem, Shropshire, England

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Name: Jane Handley
Marriage Age: 35
Record Type: Marriage
Birth Date: abt 1862
Marriage Date: 11 Aug 1897
Marriage Place: Wem, Shropshire, England
Residence Date: 1897
Residence Place: New Street, Wem
Religion: Anglican
Father: Thomas Handley
Spouse: Francis James Jones
Page number: 152
Reference Number: P295/A/3/4
 

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Jane Jones in the 1901 England Census was living with husband Francis, and daughter Grace Isabel, in Ellesmere, Shropshire, England.

In the 1911 census Francis is newly married (1 year), with children from first marriage Wilfred Windsor Jones (1901), Effie (1903), and Caidella Annie (1907).  Grace was staying with an aunt and uncle.

Presumption (not yet checked) is that Jane died somewhen between 1903 and 1910.

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edited to add - it looks as though Wilfred emigrated to Australia.

edited to add child

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Jane's death was registered in the 2nd Quarter of 1909, at Ellesmere, Shropshire, England.

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Thank you Ms Paul that is most useful.  If you would be so kind as to message me with the sources for those entries, I'll add them to Janes profile.

I have changed Williams first names, it is clear from the hand drawn family tree and his official records that he was known as William.

Regards Nick

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Sorry, unless they are on FamilySearch I will need to re-search for them on ancestry as my browser did a freeze-up and shutdown.  As Opera doesn't have a recover previously open tabs option, I shall need to hunt through ALL the "recently closed" tabs to find the relevant ones for Jane -- and there have been a LOT of recently closed tabs, most of them nothing to do with Jane and Willie.  (Jane in the 1891 and 1901 census returns being the most difficult to run down.  Never did find 1881.)

Her birth reg, and death reg will be easy, and her marriage and baptism are on FS.  (Don't be misled by the readings of the Banns dates for the marriage.  The date I posted in this thread is the correct one.)

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Private message sent.  I had found the marriage and demise, so I now only need the census records.

If this is the jane, mother of William, she lived an interesting life.  Moving from Surrey in 1883 to Shropshire by 1891.

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Considering Willie was living with his uncle, her brother, I think you should connect her to Willie's profile as mother.  Besides, she is the one listed as his parent on his baptismal record.

I've added some citations to Jane's profile, with as much information as possible to help others find the same records (because I still have not worked out how to do a sharing link for ancestry records).

I've seen wider movements, putting the lie to the oft-used argument that our ancestors didn't move around much.  (Perhaps she moved away originally because of Willie's birth.  Once in Shropshire she stayed there.)

I'd like to find that missing 1881 census, to see where she was between Herefordshire in 1871, and Willie's birth in Surrey in 1883.

Answer 1

I agree, not something that I would write on a profile. I have a few persons in my tree that only have the mothers name on the Baptism record, but they are later found on the Census records within the family unit. We have no idea what happened back then.

Comments

Well, someone thought it to be a good idea.

I suppose that it will stop people trying to do the impossible by searching for a fathers identity.

It is also a fact of life, stuff like that happens, there are another two on my watchlist born on the wrong side of the blanket.

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To Dave Sellers

That is the problem with this family.  The potential mother only appears in one census (1871) record that I can find, and then disappears.

It would be really helpful if anyone else can find her, or find a male sibling for Uncle Thomas who may have fathered William.