What happens if...

[WhatHaveIFound]

it turns out my mother had a sibling?

I've recently been looking into our family history and was searching for the illegitimate daughter of my great aunt. But i've come across another baby too, born 11 years earlier. Too early for the great aunt but not for my own grandmother.

I've just sent off for birth certificates for both babies and am now waiting anxiously.

If your mother is still around, then I wouldn't say anything, as it could be really distressing for her.

Could it be the youngest child of your great-grandparents and a sibling of your grandmother instead?

Census implies my grandfather had a baby sister... means maybe my dad had 1st cousins. We can't trace the poss. G-Aunt to find out. By the time I'm 90 maybe I can find her!

My mum is still around but her potential sibling died a few years ago. I wouldn't tell her as she's recently had a long hospital stay so quite frail.

I don't think there it could be the youngest child of my great granparents as my great grandmother would have been 46 when the baby was born and her husband had been dead for 15 years. Not impossible though since her youngest known child was born 18 months after my great grandfather had died!

The other baby (belonging to my great aunt) is as far as i can work out, still alive. Whether my mum's cousins know about their half sibling is another question...