Surname TONG

[landb]

Can anyone shed some light for me on a marriage certificate of one of my great grandfathers. His name William Johnson, Birthdate around 1824 - 1827. He married Elizabeth Kenna. Their marriage certificate says they were married in king street chapel in Canterbury in 1853, and their address was love lane Canterbury.
He was 29, she was 28. It appears at this marriage he changed his surname from William Tong to William Johnson, in the presence of the minister and registrar. It has his fathers name as George Tong. I would like to know why.
Has anyone any idea as to why this would have happened?
The name Johnson has continued on down through the family. It now appears that it is not our true ancestral name.
I have tried to find his birth certificate (William Tong), but cannot find one. Also I cannot find any information about Elizabeth Kenna, his wife.
The marriage certificate I have been sent from the archives, is typed. When I asked for a copy or to see the original, I was told I could not.
Any information about this situation would be wellcome.

[Jebber]

You won't find birth certificates for either of them, registration did not begin until 1st. July 1837.

There are several possible scenarios. 
1. His mother was unmarried when William was born and her name was Johnson, if she later married a George TONG, William may have been known by that name but reverted to his true name on marriage.

2. TONG may have been his name and his mother married a JOHNSON and he wanted to take the name officially.

3. George TONG may have been a figment of his imagination, not uncommon on marriage entries when wishing to hide illegitimacy.

4. He simply wished to change his name.

Someone else may suggest other reasons.

If you have the couple on the 1861 and later census, where do they give as their place of birth? This should provide a clue as to where to start looking for their baptisms.

Jebber

[BettyofKent]

What was Elizabeth's father's name on the marriage certificate?
There's one possible baptism for her in Canterbury, father Bernard.

There's nothing in Canterbury for a William TONG, only a William TONGE in 1810.

Rachel

[BettyofKent]

This looks interesting, given there's so few examples of the name TONG in Canterbury:

Marriage St George, Canterbury
9th Nov 1828
Mary TONG to
George JOHNSON

Only three TONG marriages & one TONGE, nothing for a Mary ? to a Mr Tong.
No Baptism for a Mary Tong.


Betty

[casalguidi]

Betty's find would make perfect sense if William was born before marriage.  I wonder if this is the family on the census - it's certainly the right area.

1841 - Chantry Lane, St Paul Canterbury

George JOHNSON 35 groom b.Kent
Mary 45 b.Kent
James 10 b.Kent

HO107/486 folio 18 page 2
..........................

1851 - Ivy Lane, Canterbury St Pau

Mary JOHNSON head wid 58 formerly stable keeper's wife b.Westbere Kent

HO107/1624 folio 25 page 15
.....................

1861 - Ivy Lane, Canterbury St Paul

Mary JOHNSON head wid 67 b.Sturry Kent
James son unm 30 groom b.Canterbury

RG9/519 folio 23 page 18
....................

Is there any occupation given for William's father, George, on William's marriage certificate which might help clarify?

There is also a baptism for a Mary TONG in Sturry 1893 which might be significant http://www.familysearch.org

With regards to Elizabeth KENNA - do you have William and Elizabeth on any census after their marriage which would give her place of birth also, as Betty mentions, any details of her father from marriage certificate or names of witnesses which might be helpful?

Casalguidi

[landb]

Thanks Casalguidi  for the answer

Williams father was a groom

Elizabeths father was also a groom.

As yet have not found anything, but will keep looking

Regards
Linda

[casalguidi]

Hi Linda

If William's father was listed as George, a groom, I would suggest that the census entries and Betty's 1828 Tong/Johnson marriage are quite likely those which you are looking for.  It is quite possible that William was illegitimate and that his birth name was TONG and that he then chose to use the name of his mother's husband, George JOHNSON who may or may not have been his natural father - it was quite a common scenario.

What is Elizabeth's father's name on the certificate and where does she say she was born in later census?

Casalguidi

[roblet]

there was a george tong transported in the 1840s from kent, im descended from the tongs and my 5 x ggrandfather was thomas pegden born around 1750s and who married elizabeth holness of chilham at st dunstans canterbury 1781, there were tongs living in sturry around 1800. stephen tong. check the sturry parish records. the nearest large settlement of tongs to canterbury is at boughton under blean/dunkirk.hernhill. its a couple of miles away. also the chilham charing area. and around milton/sittingbourne  all in kent. i have a similar problem because of the two names, dont know who his parents are.or dob. wondered if he was illegitimate. also there were tong mayors of canterbury.

[roblet]

i meant to say my 5 x ggrandfather thomas tong was married as thomas pegden then they used  the name tong but his children were born pegden but took the tong name forever after