2 Birth Entries

[ferlew]

I think there are 1 0r 2 genealogists on here, so a question for you if I may?
Under what circumstances would a person be registered TWICE on the same document, but with a different surname?
I ask because there are 2 entries for my sister, same document reference.
One in the name of B******* and one in the name of O******.
Hope someone can shed some light.

[wolf63]

Depending upon the document could it be twins?

[ferlew]

I doubt it Wolfe, the christian names are identical.

[Graham-W]

Could she have been born out of wedlock? Mother registered her in her family name and father then registered her in his family name?

[wolf63]

I didn't see the magic word 'surname'.

Graham's answer is a sensible one. I used to process claims to Retirement Pension and some birth certificates were marked 'illegitimate' . I am not at all sure when they stopped annotating that onto birth certificates.

Good luck - maybe one of our experts will drop by.

[ferlew]

Good try Graham W...
neither the "O" name or the "B" name was mum's maiden name.

[ferlew]

Hope so too Wolfe, why were folks so sneaky back then, the lies that are told beggars belief.

[ferlew]

Just been looking on Yorkshire BMD, two entries, one in each surname, both christian names identical, even the same reference number, any other ideas please?

[DJHawkes]

When civil registration was introduced in 1837 it introduced laws on legitimacy not used previously. An unmarried mother could not include a fathers name at registration unless he was present and signed the birth register. There is no surname included in pre 1974 registrations. The only time a surname was needed was for the Index and the fathers was used if he was on the registration and the mothers if he wasn't. If the child was illegitimate and the father and tended the bit should be registered under both parents names pre 1974 as well as post 1974 ( as far as I recall) . IF the parents subsequently married within the life of the child they could return to the register to add the fathers name but I think the registration is and tended mended not re regist t ered which would create and tended mended new number.

[ferlew]

Thank you DJ, I'll read that a time or two till the penny drops, nothing is making sense to me at the moment.
We are gradually finding (sis and I ) that our whole family history (as told by our mother) is a complete fabrication. We are three siblings, (we have a younger brother) and we just don't even know how we are related for sure, half or full.