COMPLETE why the name change?

[Riddlebrick]

Hello

This is not a request for a 1911 lookup, I have a full subscription. I am really after view on this.

I have been looking for some relatives on the censuses they are:-

William Mordecai 1849 - 1912 and wife Elizabeth Mordecai (nee Henderson) 1853 -1929

and their children

Elizabeth Jane Mordecai 1869 –
Letitia Mordecai 1871 – 1880
William Henderson Mordecai 1873 – 1927
Mary Ann Mordecai 1875 –
Margaret Mordecai 1877 –
Jane Willis Mordecai 1879 –
John Mordecai 1881 –
Letitia Mordecai 1884 –
Edith Mordecai 1886 –
James Mordecai 1888 –
Florence Bella Mordecai 1889 – 1972
Herbert Herman Mordecai 1892 – 1918
Maud Mordecia 1894 – 1979

I found the relevant entries on 1851 to 1901 census records and having a 1911 subscription I moved onto there, obviously some had married by that point but others had not especially the 3 youngest.

I found Florence "Mordecia" working as a servant in Ryhope, Sunderland
I found her older brother William "Mordecai" and his family also in Ryhope, Sunderland.

As the parents were still alive in 1911 I searched for them but couldn't find them.  I decided to carry out a search on Herbert using only his forename and year of birth narrowing the search to Durham.  The result that came back was for a Herbert Carter, interestingly his parents were called William and Elizabeth Carter all at the correct ages and having the birthplace matching their Mordecai counterparts, another thing is that they were living 5 doors away from (son) William Mordecai in Ryhope, Sunderland. This can;t be anyone else but them in my book.

I decided to turn my search to Maud Mordecai, as I could not find her under Mordecai and knew she wasn't married I searched under carter and hey presto a result came back for Maud Carter born 1894 Durham Gateshead working as a servant in Chester le Street.  as the Maud I have in my tree was born in Sheriff Hill, Gateshead I think that this has to be her.

I am intrigued as to why they would change their name to Carter when on all other censuses they have been Mordecai or variations of it.

The only place this surname could have come from is that William Mordecai's (b1849) father John Mordecai (born 1818 butterwick, durham) was born out of wedlock and his mother married a man called Francis Carter a few years after his birth. 

Any thoughts on why they would change their name? 

Thanks

Emma

[Lydart]

This is a totally wild guess ... but with a name that perhaps sounded German, would they in 1911 be anticipating difficulties for people with German names in the UK ?   And therefore changed it ?

I've just been re-watching the Rick Stein WDYTYA ... and his father and grandfathers German name was regarded with suspicion ...

[Riddlebrick]

Lydart

Thanks for that, it is possible, but would have thought the rest of the family would have changed their name too if this was the case especially with them living a few doors from one another.

I know Herbert was signed up to go to war in 1915 and sadly died in 1918.

Emma

[alpinecottage]

Have you tracked them down after 1911, say in BMD's or Directories? - did any of the Mordecais change their names later, or did any of the Carters change back to Mordecai?  Have you tracked down any Wills as one of the reasons put forward for name changes is as a condition of receiving a bequest.

[Riddlebrick]

Alpinecottage

They all revert back to Mordecai.

William Mordecai died in the 3rd quarter on 1912 and it was registered as Mordecai. 

Maud was married in the 3rd quarter of 1912 and married as Mordecai.

Herbert was signed up to war as Mordecai in 1915.

Elizabeth died in 1929 and registered as Mordecai

no other family members changed their name to Carter therefore remained Mordecai.

I only encountered the 1911 census records for these (carters) earlier today. 

Their only link with the carters (that I know of) is with a step grandfather (francis carter) who died about 1857 his wife Letitia Carter (nee Mordecai) died in 1861. 

John Mordecai, the son of Letitia and step son of Francis Carter was Williams Father.

Regards

Emma

[peter brownlee]

Mordecai is a Jewish name though it was used occasionally as a Christian name after the Reformation made biblical names popular. Perhaps they found that if they used the surname that people assumed they were immigrant Jews.
Peter

[patrexjax]

Hello, Just a thought ... perhaps the enumerator had difficulty understanding the name and thought it was "Carter"??      Pat

[2zpool]

These pages in  the 1911 census are the forms that the families filled out.  Not enumerator writing.  If the folks in this family would read and write I doubt the enumerator did their form for them. 

Janis

[Riddlebrick]

It definitely says carter and there is more than one household with Mordecai's living there where the surname is showing as carter.