Dunmall family history help please

[HughW]

The births of all children should have been registered whatever their mother's marital status. However, there was no penalty for non-registration until the 1870's (I think?) so that may account for some missing births. And of course it may not be clear to us which surname we should be searching for.

 

I also think that children born out of wedlock would have been christened if their mothers wanted it, although the priest may have made the status of both clear in the register.

 

'St Mary Cray' in the census is used as a geographical rather than a ecclesiastical term and it is possible that people with that birthplace were not members of the parish church, and may indeed have been non-conformists.

 

I still think that the 'male' DUNMALL registered in 1854 may be worth pursuing given the lack of other evidence.

 

Hugh