Mystery name on certificates

[truckermac]

Last year I was researching my family history.My family comes from Stockport,Cheshire. When I pulled up my birth certificate and my parents marriage certificate my Mother's name was listed as Burgess /otherwise known as Hartigan.
We had always been told my Mother's maiden name was Burgess. We have no idea why the name Hartigan is on these two documents. I checked my other five siblings they do not have this name on their certificates.When I asked my older siblings if they knew what this was all about-they did not know.One brother said the name sounded familiar but he could not remember why.So how do I even begin to find an answer. One theory is that my Mother was illegitimate and that's why both names. I looked up births on the day she was born in Stockport. There was no Catherine Burgess listed on that day but there was a Catherine Hartigan in the Birth records. It is our great family mystery at this point.

 

[pejay]

Hi there I replied to your other thread at that time I did not know your mother's name was Catherine. It is possible she was adopted and she had her name changed to Burgess by deed poll. Adoption only became official in 1927 but before this children could be given to grandprents etc have you tried this website
http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/topics/adoption_1.htm.

good luck

 

[Tom]

Hello Mac

I would suggest you buy the birth certificate for Catherine Hartigan and see whether the date of birth is the same as you knew your mother's birthday to be.

It sounds to me as though she was maybe born out of wedlock, or her mother was widowed and she remarried, or maybe was orphaned and taken in by another family.

The first port of call though is to buy that birth certificate.

 

[juliejtp]

I suspect that Catherine Hartigan belongs to Ellen Josephine Hartigan.
There is a marriage for her and the grooms listed are:-

Richard Burgess
John William Littlewood

Year 1909
District Stockport
Oct/Nov/Dec 1

Let us know the outcome when you get Catherines birth cerficate.

 

[truckermac]

Update on my family mystery. We recently found out that my mother was born out of wedlock and her parents did not marry each other until she was a year old.Also-the family did not talk about the Hartigan name due to a family tragedy. My great grandfather Edward Hartigan murdered my greatgrandmother Catherine Hartigan(McCormick) on August 6,1906.The trial took place in Sept 1906 and he was hanged on November 27,1906 at Knutsford Gaol. I have tried to find out more about these events through articles from archives of The Stockport Express but they are at the National Archives in Kew and cannot be accessed online.I went on a website called Virtual Knutsford and actually saw some inquiries from relatives I have never met regarding my greatgrandfather and the murder of my great grandmother.The links were three years old however and no-one responded to my emails. So I am at a stalemate for now.

 

[pauline clark]

Hello Truckermac Have You Tried Signing Up To Genes Reunited,Its A Good Site Ive Found Family Members Searching Some Of My Family Tree As Far Back As 1814 Good Luck
Pauline

 

[juliejtp]

Hi Truckermac,

Are you still looking for Catherines birth? Looks like the one in 1908 Stockprt Cheshire under Catherine Hartigan. her mother would be Ellen Josephine Hartigan dau of Edward and Catherine.

 

[truckermac]

I was sent a family tree when I got the news about my greatgrandparents tragic endings.The tree dates back to 1848 so far on both my sides of the family.. My nephew's wife is researching the family tree through records in Stockport and some online. They will send us more info as she uncovers our history. I am grateful for all the suggestions as to avenues to explore.