Marriage Certificates can pinpoint Family-Secrets.

I discovered from my parents' marriage certificate that this was not my mother's first. It also was not my father's.

A new name has been brought into my family-tree from the certificate details. In column 4 titled 'Condition' I'm informed that Dad was 'The divorced husband of Alice Victoria Leagas'. This was a surprise – the third from one piece of paper.

Research confirmed his marriage to Alice was in October 1926, twenty-four years earlier than his second. I'm assuming there wasn't a third: well I haven't found another one yet.

There was a question that needed to be asked: could there be any children from the marriage?

The answer – Yes.

It took some lateral thinking to find them, but I have Birth Certificates which confirm Fred and Alice had two daughters; Eileen in August 1927 and Barbara in April 1929.

I've discovered that I have two half-sisters! Two living-secrets kept from me, and my brother when he was alive. Thanks Dad.

Of course I have to wonder whether Eileen and Barbara know their father had two sons some twenty years after them. Would they want to know? Would their parents have wanted them to know?

I've confirmed that my new-found-siblings have married, and now I need to investigate further to determine whether I have any other living half-relatives.

For the forty-five years, since my brother died, I believed that I was my father's sole living child: another illusion shattered.

 © Elliot Sampford 2014