Should LNAB for Zuba Martin (born 1731) be changed to Unknown or Parker?

Question

The birth record for Zuba clearly shows Abigail Parker is the mother: Abagail, had dau. Zuba, b. Nov. 1, 1731 (http://dunhamwilcox.net/ct/wallingford_ct14.htm).  But it is unclear if Robert Martin was the biological father or just adopted her when he married Abigail in 1734.  Therefore, should Zuba's Last Name at Birth be changed to Parker or Unknown?  

Answer 1

Her official LNAB is Parker. It cannot be Unknown as the birth registration exists to prove it.  You would enter LNAB as Parker, explain in the Bio for Zuba about the bio dad, and if applicable (you have a source that show's it) the adoption/assuming of her bio dad's last name. If she changed her name to Martin enter under "other last names" in the information boxes.

Comments

Thank you.  I have changed the LNAB to Parker.  But that still leaves the "Current Last Name" as Martin.  So I now suddenly realized that we don't know if Zuba was still alive when Abigail married in 1734.  She could have died as a baby.  So should the "Current Last Name" be Parker, Martin, or Unknown?  And if the current last name is listed as Parker, should "other last name" be listed as Martin since many online sources list her as Martin (and thus known as Martin in modern times, even though she might not have been known as Martin in those times if she did die as a baby).  There seems to be no record of her after 1731 in those times.  If Zuba died before 1734, I guess we don't even know for sure that Robert Martin was even aware that Abigail had given birth to a baby.

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The current last name should be what your most current source says it is. If she is single it should be blank. No evidence of marriage or adoption in that situation.  You don't have to put anything in. 

 If she was adopted or assumed the surname of a stepparent her current name would be that. If she then married, her current last name would reflect her married name. And her adopted name would be placed in "Other" as it is not current anymore. 

That is the purpose of current last name - to show a change from the LNAB. We include a write up of a marriage in the bio, you would of course also include a write up in the bio to explain any adoption/assuming a surname in stepparent situations.

Hope that helps? 

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LNAB = Whatever your birth registration says. Current Name=their most current provable surname. Other Name =previous married surname if multiple spouses, adopted/assumed names before their current surname

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You can put what you "suspect" in a research notes area. Your bio should reflect what you have entered in your information boxes. You update your information boxes (and your bio) as you add sources.

In the information boxes, if you don't know, then you either leave it blank or mark it uncertain (like when we estimate the birth date). If you really didn't know their LNAB you would mark it Unknown, and change it when you find a source to prove the LNAB.

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As to the online information you mention, if they are private family tree's with no sources their info is not considered reliable enough to say its true. You might want to note the info in a research notes area, until you can find a real source to answer the question.