Genealogy Chat

As I understood it when you got married in the olden days you only had to provide proof of the name that you were known by not necessarily the one you were born with. My Polly Foster changed her name to Mary when she married and Annie Mee changed her name to Annie Bellamy. Just an idea, Pippa

Carole I have known of a child Christened with one name and registered the next week as something quite different. I think you must do as Nell says and check whether it COULD be another family, ie cousins perhaps and try to find other evidence to confirm you are on the right track. It is very likely that you are right, but if it were me I would hope to be able to use back-up evidence.

Gwyneth All details tie in with both of them apart from fathers name changes. I just wondered how common it was to use one name on one cert. and a different one on another. Maybe it wasnt a legal requirement to use name you'd been christened as. It just throws a little doubt on my findings as to having the right person or not. Carole xx

Carole Firstly some relatives liked to change their name, or use their middle name, or add another name. Who knows why? You can usually check if its the right person by seeing if other details are correct - for example I have an Annie Broad who called herself Elizabeth Anne when she married. I know its her because my gt grandfather was a witness on her wedding cert. Alternatively you have to check if there is another family with the names you have. Obviously if the surname is unusual its easier. I was very glad when I was trying to find MY Thomas Matthews that his father was called Emmets! nell

Can you find any of the 'fathers' with the correct children on census to back up the certificates? Do the addresses match up with what you would expect , or with those in parish registers for your family? What about witnesses or informants, - do they fit your family? If you are sure that the certificates are for your own family, I'd say that it could be that the parents names could quite possibly change. One could be their correct registered name and the other what they were generally known as. Annoying, but it happened sometimes.

Hi, someone found a marriage, that could be my GGrandad but I was told his name was Henry and the marriage said George, it could be he used both names. AL

Hi All Just received my ggrandads birth cert. and it states his fathers name as Joseph but on his marriage cert. his father is William. Every other detail is right. Another cert. I received states ggrandmothers father as John when I have it as George! She had a brother John and her grandfather was John. Im totally confused now. Is it likely the same person would maybe use a second name or am I barking up the wrong tree completely (excuse the pun!) Carole xx