Was my great great grandfather a foundling? g
Q My father told me there was a foundling in the family, but couldn’t tell me who it was. My research suggests it was my great great grandfather, William Lucas, born 1824–1837 in or near Presteigne, Radnorshire. His marriage certificate gives his father as William Price not Lucas. I’d like to find William Lucas’ baptism, as well as the Lucas he treated as his father. Mark Lucas
A It is not clear from your question why you believe that William Lucas was a foundling (or an abandoned child). If he was, you could check for information in a possible foundling report in a local newspaper. Details may also be recorded in a parish register or workhouse entry. Genetic testing can sometimes also be useful in cases of more recent foundlings.
William Lucas may have been illegitimate rather than a foundling and may have known the name of his father. Thus the information given on his marriage certificate may be correct and Lucas was his mother’s surname.
If William’s birthplace was in the Presteigne area then you should search the baptisms there. Parish records for this part of Wales are held by Herefordshire Archives ( herefordshire.gov.uk/ herefordshire-archive-recordscentre) and Powys Archives ( en.powys.gov.uk/article/1869/ Archives-and-Family-History).
Some records have been indexed, but not all. A quick check on FamilySearch ( familysearch.org) for a baptism of a William Lucas between 1830 and 1837 in or near Presteigne revealed an entry in the Herefordshire Bishops’ Transcripts (1583–1898) for 19 June 1831. No parish is given, but the mother’s name is Elizabeth Lucas. As no father is named, it is likely this William was illegitimate. You can access the image for this entry at a Family History Center or affiliate library.
Examining the 1841 and 1851 censuses may help you establish with whom William lived and what his connection was to them. Emma Jolly