Mystery can anyone help

[timberup]

Hope someone can help me,

My wifes great uncle Horace R Duncton (b1889 Caterham, d1916 Thiepval, France) m Clara Palin (b1890, d 1949), had two children, Felix HW Duncton b 1914 and Frances Duncton 1916.

Heres the mystery in 1921 Albert M Duncton was born to a mother with the maiden name Palin( source BMD), yet Horace cannot be the father, and I can't find a new marraige to another Duncton on Ancestry or BMD.

Has anyone a logical explanation please

[Barmaid]

Yes, Clara had an illegitimate child. Lots of it went on during and after the Great War. Unsurprising really. My own g grandmother was in a similar situation.

[magsmay]

Hi I've spent many hours on Ancestry and one explanation could be that Albert was born out of wedlock -Horace was dead but his mother would retain Horace s surname -widows did not revert to their maiden name. I've come across records where Mr ans mrs Smith have one child, then Mr Smith dies and Mrs smith then has another little smith apparently from beyond the grave!

[timberup]

would she still take the surname Duncton even after 5 yrs?

[magsmay]

timberup - yes she would retain her married name for life, she would be mrs Duncton until she died or remarried. It was not the done thing to revert to a 'miss' especially if you had children.

[Barmaid]

Yes, she would still be known as Duncton in those days. Request a copy of Albert's birth certificate see if that helps.

[timberup]

ok thanks very much for your help and advice

[dotty.]

philip e duncton born 1928 mother's maiden name palin also registered in godstone (like francis was in 1916) is possibly/probably a 4th child.

[dotty.]

sorry 1924 not 1928

[dotty.]

I also think clara duncton nee palin married a John Funnell in 1930 in Godstone.

[dotty.]

where have you found clara dying in 1949? there is no death registration in 1949 for a clara duncton.

[dotty.]

clara funnell died in 1949

Name: Clara Funnell
Birth Date: abt 1891
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1949
Age at Death: 58
Registration district: Croydon
Inferred County: Surrey
Volume: 5g
Page: 82

[dotty.]

mmmm most odd, there are 3 trees on ancestry that include a clara palin funnell marrying a duncton, but they have her birth as 1873. i think they're all american members and have copied each others work.

[dotty.]

in 1931 John and Clara Funnell had a daughter margaret E funnell mother's maiden name palin. registered godstone

[dotty.]

ok the 3 trees on ancestry have mixed up their clara palins, clara palin born 1871/3 was the sister of timothy palin, father to the clara palin who married horace duncton and then john funnell.

[spats_fumble]

Hi,

My mother is the last child of Clara. Clara it is believed had 2 illegitimate children, Philip and Albert. Technically these children should have been Palins but they were given the Duncton surname by Clara. Clara did not remarry until 1930/31 when my Aunt Margaret (Maggie) was born not long after in 1931; she married John Funnell whose 1st wife died in childbirth in 1929 and whom Clara went to housekeep for not long afterwards.

Hope this helps somewhat....

[dotty.]

does that mean you are related by marriage to timberup (the OP)

[spats_fumble]

Only by tenuous marriage links I think - Clara is my maternal Grandmother - The Dunctons are my Mother's half brothers though my mother did wonder if timberup's wife may have connections to a farm near Hurst Green in Surrey that she visited when she was a child...

[dotty.]

ooo that's interesting, hope timberup gets back to confirm!

[Ann]

How exciting! and amazing that you were both on AB at the same time.

[Craig_d]

Hi my name is craig Duncton and I have recently been doing a family tree, Albert M Duncton is my grandfather, I ordered his birth certificate as I was having the exact same problems, and there is no fathers name on the birth certificate, after reading the other answers in this I have found it really helpful in my own search so thank you and I hope this helps in anyway it can.