Constance Ivy Merritt

[R.H.H.]

William Holliday and Constance Ivy Merritt are my paternal grandparents. They got married in Brighton in 1902. On their Marriage Certificate my grandmother's address is shown as West Blatchington  -  and in the 1901 census there is in fact a family of Merritt's living there! But not my grandmother, or living elsewhere in Sussex or anywhere in England in 1901! Her husband's entries in their family bible gives her DOB as 20th June 1881. That may be so, but she is not in the civil records under that date.
Conjecture  -  perhaps she was illegitimate ( a word not used these days) and Merritt was from her mother's subsequent marriage, and which new surname she inherited? If so, under what name was her birth registered? The clue is perhaps in her first two names: Constance Ivy. Has anyone come across this combination of names of someone born or living in Sussex prior to 1901?

[casalguidi]

The family in Blatchington 1901 are in Mill Cottages, Findon 1891:

Samuel MERRITT 37 b.Washington
Rosa 36 b.Amberley
Lily 18 b.Findon
Caroline 6 b.Worthing
Nora 9m b.Findon
Harry 16 b.Findon
Frederick 4 b.Findon

I was thinking that Caroline may have been mistranscribed by the enumerator in 1901 but it doesn't seem likely does it being as she is also Caroline in 1891?

I would think that there is definitely some link to the family so worth tracing them anyway. 

Constance and Ivy would have been more popular names around the turn of the century than what they were c1881 so am wondering if she may have changed her name?

Doesn't help much I'm afraid.

[R.H.H.]

Many thanks for your message and the comments therein. Your suggestion of a change of name is a good one  -  and one I think I will pursue.
How did I not know about this site until yesterday?  It's brilliant!  A must for anyone doing FT research!