‘NAN’S LIFE STORY READS LIKE A CATHERINE COOKSON NOVEL’

SARAH FULLER lives in Gillingham in Kent. She has been researching her family history for over 10 years

The scandal of giving birth to an illegitimate child in the early 20th century led to tragic tales of abandonment, social stigma and even suicide. If the father’s name was not given on official records then his identity could remain a mystery for generations, or for that matter never be revealed.