Recording an Illegitimate Relationship

[jcbhydro]

What is the recommended method of recording the details of the putative father of a child born to a mother who is married to the father of her other children?
I use FTM 2019 and, as with all other FTM versions, it is configured such that children are recorded as born to a married partnership.
I wish to record an instance where an unmarried man has possibly had a relationship with a married woman which produces a child and the woman has 2 older children by her existing live husband.
I have entered the family details of the putative father as independent of the main family tree, but I wish to provide an explanatory link to the mother and to the illegitimate child. One could record the putative father as a second spouse, but this would be misleading to other observers.
One could merely enter notes in the 'fact' fields of the 3 individuals, but I enquire whether there is a more formal and structured routine to show this relationship.

Any suggestion would be gratefully received.

jcbhydro

 

[ptjw7]

I put the information as you say - to separate 'spouses' with a note that they were not married, you may need to add extra information as well.
My reasoning is that in many trees that I have seen the illegitimate birth comes across as from the original marriage or as in most cases the later marriage. Most cases where this happens the father is never known!

peter

 

[jcbhydro]

Many thanks,
In the case in question, it is impossible to be certain that the putative father is, in fact, the father. He never married , so there are no direct descendants to cajole into a DNA test. It wouldn't be appropriate to record him as a 'spouse'.
I think that I shall just have to rely on appended notes to explain assumptions.

jcbhydro

 

[ptjw7]

How would you record a 'common law' wife - no married but could have children!
Peter

 

[p.risboy]

As for me, in my tree.......I recorded the absent father in the childs birth/baptism record......as 'potential father'.

IF the father is definitely known for sure, then enter that as well, with all his details.

It's your tree, so record the father as you see fit. As they never married, he can't be a spouse or a 'common law' partner/father.

Steve.

 

[jcbhydro]

Thanks Steve,
That's what I have done, but I did wonder whether there is a more structured approach.

jcbhydro