Parents of Robert KITCHING

[Kathc]

Hi Noreen

I wont write it all again, have a look at my reply to Valda.

Regards Kathc

[Valda]

I imagine she named your father-in-law after Lord Kitchener who was a war hero. Without another birth, marriage or death certificate of any of his siblings I can't say whether she was consistent and prefered the surname change from Kitchen to Kitchener though it seems logical.

The census procedure was the census enumerator came round and handed out the schedules and then collected them, writing them for anyone who had difficulty filling them in. He then rewrote them as much as he could from what was written, into his own census enumerator's book. The original household schedules were destroyed (no copying was done from 1911 onwards - only the original schedules exist). A tired census enumerator trying to read peoples' handwriting and spelling means there is plenty of room for errors. People often did not put in their legal names but the names they used in their everyday life - Marmaduke being a bit of a mouthfu,l he might very well have used another name, or the census enumerator just couldn't read the name and made a stab at it.

On Martha's marriage in 1905 if born in 1887 she was under the age of consent to marry, being only just 18. Many people adjusted their age up to 21 on marriage to avoid the need for parental consent. In Martha's case it looks like she continued to maintain the older age.

The second name Ann on the birth certificate could be an error (it would be worth searching for her baptism to see if it was the same) or Martha just prefered the name Alice to Ann. Since the censuses have her as Martha A. it looks like once she left home to work and used the name she prefered, or the name she had been called at home to distinguish her from her mother.

Does her marriage certificate details about her father's occupation confirm his occupation was with horses?

Regards

Valda

[Kathc]

Hi Valda

Perhaps you are correct and his mother was patriotic, I will have to get one of the other siblings birth certs and confirm the name.

On the marriage cert, it only gives the two fathers occupations as Labourers.

Yes I see what you mean about her name, perhaps she didnt like being called Martha, and used her second name as her first.
I suppose young people where just as contrary in those days as they are now.

If I do find her birth, I will let you know but don't hold your breath, and thank you again for all your help.

Regards Kathc

[Valda]

You have the birth registration

Births Jun 1887   
Kitchen  Martha Ann    Teesdale  10a 264

It would be her baptism to see if her name is given differently - it would probably be in the Cotherstone parish registers.

I wasn't thinking the addition or lengthening of the name Kitchen to Kitchener was about being patriotic (which might explain the name in one child's name), more about elevating yourself and your family by association - trying to give your children a better start in life.

Regards

Valda

[Jueb1962]

Hello Noreen,

Would be interested to hear from you.  I am connected through Robert Kitching's wife Jane Caygill. The newspaper reports regarding the case have made fascinating reading especially Robert's letters to Jane

Jane's father was Edmund Caygill and Edmund was the half brother of my 3xGreat Grandfather James Briggs. 

Julie