Genealogy Chat

My great uncle was born Richard Fieldhouse in 1874 in the Wolverhampton area. He still goes under that name in the 1911 census, now living in Birkenhead as a single man. However, in 1916 he married a Selina Bagnall as Richard Roberts and used that name from then on.

How do I find out when and why he changed his surname.

I know I am correct as I have purchased his mother's death certificate - Martha Susannah Fieldhouse and present at her death in 1918 was her daughter in law, Selina Roberts.

I can't find a marriage for a Selina Bagnall in 1916.

Kath. x

Edit Sorry posted a marriage and realised it was the wrong pairing.

Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page

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Marriages Dec 1916 (>99%)
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Roberts Richard Webb Mt. Drayton 6a 1425
Webb Selina Roberts Mt.Drayton 6a 1425


Andy

I thought he married a Selina Bagnall. Did they both change their names?

Kath. x

Is this a son killed in WW2?

ROBERTS, RONALD FIELDHOUSE
Rank:Private
Service No:T/206957
Date of Death:23/11/1944
Regiment/Service:Royal Army Service Corps
Grave ReferenceI. A. 1.
CemeterySCHOONSELHOF CEMETERY
Additional Information:

This is the same person, Margee.


UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 about Ronald Roberts
Name: Ronald Roberts
Given Initials: R F
Rank: Private
Death Date: 23 Nov 1944
Number: 206957
Birth Place: Leeds
Residence: Leeds
Branch at Enlistment: Other Corps
Theatre of War: Western Europe Campaign, 1944/45
Regiment at Death: Royal Army Service Corps
Branch at Death: Other Corps

Selina Bagnall was her maiden name, she was a widow , married name Webb, sorry I should have said that

Are you trying to rule out the possibility that he is actually the son of a Mr Roberts, and his mother has told him this at some stage?

What is his father's name on his wedding certificate?

For ref.

Is this the family 1881..??

Event Place: Wednesfield, Staffordshire, England
Head Martha Fieldhouse F 40 Wolverhampton,
Daughter Harriet Fieldhouse F 9 Wolverhampton,
Son George Fieldhouse M 8 Wolverhampton,
Son Richard Fieldhouse M 7 Wolverhampton,
Daughter Ellen Fieldhouse F 4 Wolverhampton,
Son John Fieldhouse M 3 Wolverhampton,
Daughter Jane Fieldhouse F 0 Heath Town, Staffordshire,

Lodger George Griffiths M 48 Ludlow, Shropshire,
Lodger Sylvia Griffiths F 50 Ludlow, Shropshire,

Martha is listed as a Widow /Washerwoman

The marriage of Martha Susannah MARTIN to a George Fieldhouse took place Wolverhampton ..Reg march Quarter 1871 6b 648.

Havent found a death for George F.

Do you have the 1916 marriage certificate?

The 1871 census is confusing. There's actually a double line between the Hobbins family and the rest meaning that they're a seperate household. However George Fieldhouse is listed as son. (Son of whom?)

1871 England Census
about Martha Fieldhouse Name: Martha Fieldhouse
[Martha Hobbins]
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: William Hobbins
Mother's Name: Sarah Hobbins
Gender: Female
Where born: Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England
Civil Parish: Wolverhampton
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
Town: Wolverhampton
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Registration District: Wolverhampton
Sub-registration District: Wolverhampton Eastern
ED, institution, or vessel: 17
Household Schedule Number: 30
Piece: 2938
Folio: 40
Page Number: 6
Household Members: Name Age
William Hobbins 32
Sarah Hobbins 30
Edith M Hobbins 1
George Fieldhouse 31 , son, married
Harriet Fieldhouse 16 , sister, unmarried
Martha Fieldhouse 30 , daughter-in-law, married
Amelia Hacking 35 , sister, married
Thomas Hacking 32 , brother-in-law, married

Maybe worth considering is that the only person describing Selina as "daughter-in-law" is Selina herself.

She may just have been living with Richard Fieldhouse.

There was another unrelated thread, and when we got to the bottom of it the man had reverted to his grandmothers surname - he had deserted from the army during WW1 - kept up the assumed name apart from slipping up on one of his children's births.

Have you checked for a military record under Fieldhouse?

According to 2 Public Family Trees on ancestry, his full name was John Richard Fieldhouse

son of George Fieldhouse and Martha Susannah Martin

Liz replied by pm to say that she had not got the wedding lines, and that he is the middle son of 6 children.

I think Richard Fieldhouse and Richard Roberts are probably different people.

The only way to check this would be to get the marriage certificate.

The marriage certificate would be useful, but I'm not so sure they are different people bearing in mind the mothers death cert.

this is one of their children:

John R F Roberts
Mother's Maiden Surname: Bagnall
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1920
Registration District: MT Drayton
Inferred County: Shropshire
Volume Number: 6a
Page Number: 1559


John Richard F Roberts
Birth Date: 27 Dec 1919
Date of Registration: Dec 1996
Age at Death: 77
Registration District: South Cheshire
Inferred County: Cheshire
Register Number: B11A
District and Subdistrict: 3411B
Entry number: 231

I wonder what the F stands for?

I'm stuck on this theory just for the moment. Selina married Richard Roberts. Left him and moved in with Richard Fieldhouse. They didn't get married, so their children would be registered with the name Roberts. Maybe they were given the name Fieldhouse Roberts.

Selina would have given herself the title of "daughter-in-law" on Martha's death certificate, as she was living with her son, Richard Fieldhouse, as his wife.

Martha wasn't in any position to contradict her!

Well, as I say, it's only a theory.

Do any of the siblings of your great uncle ever use Roberts or keep to Fieldhouse?

Christina,
'Selina Bagnall was her maiden name, she was a widow , married name Webb,'
so how would she also manage to fit in Roberts?