[Margaret in Burton]

I applied to Ashbourne register office for the birth certificate of what looked like my great grandfathers sister. I wasn’t convinced because of her age. When it came I was right and she was a half sibling born before her parents ‘marriage’. Another story but they didn’t marry and later researched baptism records in Matlock revealed her father’s name and yes a bastardy order.

Almost the same day as I received the birth certificate the Ashbourne registrar rung me. She said that someone else had applied for that same birth certificate almost at the time as me and would I like to be put in touch with them. Surely well out of her job description. I said yes and after a little correspondence it seemed that another relative lived very close to me. We met up and although we are only half cousins exchanged a lot of info and photos