THE PUZZLE OF ALLEGED ILLEGITIMACY OF JAMES DORRINGTON 1841- (General)

by Powys,Amanda , Monday, June 23, 2014, 10:42 (3878 days ago) @ MPGriffiths

ALLEGED ILLEGITIMACY OF JAMES DORRINGTON 1841 -1904
.......

Thank you so much for this helpful information!
I had not realised that the censuses were taken
on different dates ! There is so much for me to learn about researching
family history & what will give greater accuracy !

Yes JAMES DORRINGTON was born on 31st May 1841 [info on my ancestry tree from
the records in the edition of Pilgrim's Progress used like a family
Bible].
And so he should be on the 1841 census taken
on the night of 6th June.
Now following your information I see
that this does
make another mystery . The six day old SUSAN SIMMONS is certainly odd.
I cannot find either a birth or a death for her.
.
Speculation only but could the enumerator have confused the
information & recorded the baby incorrectly?. It appears to read SUSAN female on
the original not JAMES .......
..

Re The ALLEGED ILLEGITIMACY OF JAMES DORRINGTON.
1.Fellow researchers have wondered whether 'this
legitimacy theory was suggested so that Forest of Dean or Westbury on
Severn or James Dorrington's family wanted to avoid being
liable for any charges with regards to his
being in an institution.

2 .Mac ' I must say that I do wonder about this illegitimate tag as James is equally spaced amongst his siblings and so it would be unlikely to be Thomas who has strayed. If it were Anne then how would anyone know? Perhaps after all, they were only saying that James was not a legitimate member of the parish. They were very hot on this sort of thing in those days and were quick to kick out anyone they thought might become an expense to them later.'

Another researcher Gillian has said ' FOD show his mother as ANN BROWN
This would be the christening
record so I don't know whether you have already done so I looked at
Gloucestershire BMD index for the birth certificate and it states his
mother's surname as BROWN Westbury on Severn, Newnham register 3 entry
268 so there doesn't seem to be a problem.
Thomas and Ann married in 1832 and James was their 5th child .The only
thing I can think of is
perhaps Ann had a liaison with another man during her marriage
It is a real puzzle..