How did she get through life without a Birth Certificate?

Question

Hello

My maternal grandmother was born in 1916 and  didn't have a birth certificate.  My mum and I believe it was her paternity that was an issue and this is why she didn't have one.  Her marriage certificate reveals a dash under father and father's occupation confirming what we think. It was never discussed during my grandmother's lifetime, she died in 1970.

Our question is, how did she get through life?  How did she have a NI number, vote etc?  She got a passport by somebody having known her from birth to 5 vouching for her my mum remembers .

Has anybody else had any experience of this and have any advice?

Answer

It is only very recently that paperwork became more important than people. Prior to the civil war there was no record of marriages or births except in the family bible. The marriage license was invented after the war specifically so it could be refused to couples of mixed race, which meant black and white, since nobody cared about any other combination. The Mexican border did not even have a fence until after WW2; now a citizen has to have a passport to cross the border.

How did she get through life without a Birth Certificate?

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