Every time we go back a generation, we double the number of ancestors that we can add to our family tree, except when we come across an illegitimate child. As the base born child was baptised with the mother’s surname, it is normally very difficult to find out the name of the father. Where would you start looking?
I agree – I’ve found an illegitimate g.g. grandfather, Henry – the only clue is the a Richard Prichard signed his marriage certificate as ‘father’ but I have one Richard Prichard who was hanged at about the time of Henry’s birth. There is another one who is older, and may be the father but I’m really not sure.
How do you go about finding out this information – it’s such a puzzle!