Author Topic: Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?  (Read 4962 times)

Offline scault

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Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?
« on: Monday 13 February 17 09:08 GMT (UK) »
Morning all,
My x 2 paternal Grandfather was a Charles Frost,
It took me many visits to the Bedford and Northampton record centers over the years to finally find this man's marriage to Margret Bull in 1820 in Woburn. Charles Frost is in fact from Derbyshire.
What I would dearly love to find out is
1, was this man working in leighton buzzard before his marriage and who for ?
2, Did his wife run away from her village in culworth Northampton to be with Charles.
Charles and Margret Bull both 1800 marry in Woburn church, they appear to be living in potsgrove and both their eldest son charles and daughter Mary are baptised 1822 and 1824 there under the surname of Frost. It is only when the family are on the 1841 census for St Johnswood London he starts to use his mothers surname of AULT and all his later children are baptised AULT instead of Frost. I know something must of happened and I need a Detective to go back in time and investigate. ( if only ).
I think Margret ran away to be with him ?

Any ideas please


                                 Sue Ault ( should really be Frost ) ???  :o  ::)

Offline bedfordshire boy

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Re: Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?
« Reply #1 on: Monday 13 February 17 09:39 GMT (UK) »
The marriage is on the IGI at www.familysearch.org as being on 12 Oct 1821, not 1820, at Woburn. Who were the witnesses and what were the parishes of residence shown as?

A bit of a coincidence that in 1851 there were two more Ault families on the same page. Ault is an uncommon name.  I don't believe in coincidences!

Why do you think he could have been working in Leighton Buzzard?

David
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Beds:   Cople: Luke/Spencer
            Everton: Hale
            Henlow: Cooper/Watts/Sabey/Rook
            Potton:  Merrill
            Southill: Faulkner/Litchfield/Sabey/Rook
            Woburn/Husborne Crawley: Surkitt
Hunts:   Gt Gransden: Merrill/Chandler/Medlock
            Toseland: Surkitt/Hedge/Corn         
Cambs: Bourn: Bowd
            Eltisley: Medlock
            Graveley: Ford/Revell

Offline Gardener

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Re: Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?
« Reply #2 on: Monday 13 February 17 09:51 GMT (UK) »
Hi. You can't really assume that there was a surname switch at a particular point in time. What you have is a series of "snapshots" and there is nothing to say that Charles did not rock back and forth between the two surnames. He might just have used both of them.
Did he have any siblings? What did they do?
Rose (Black Country),Downs (Black Country),Wolloxall (any and all),Bark (Derbyshire),Wright (Derbyshire),Marsden (Derbyshire), Wallace (Black Country)

All census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline johnP-bedford

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Re: Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?
« Reply #3 on: Monday 13 February 17 10:18 GMT (UK) »
As per the Beds FHS names index CD his abode was Leighton Buzzard at time of marriage.

He seems to have got buried in the name of Charles Frost age 52 on 26 July 1854 living at Torrington Mews, Paddington

You've been here before....
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=703791.0
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Partridge - North Beds; Northants & Peterborough
Bishop - Bedford; Hunts, Hemingford Grey
Allen - Hunts, Hemingford Abbotts
Clement - Croydon
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Offline scault

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Re: Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?
« Reply #4 on: Monday 13 February 17 12:32 GMT (UK) »
I am looking for a fresh perspective an idea from anyone that I can possibly follow. On his marriage it states from Leighton Buzzard, but he is from Derbyshire.  This makes me think he may have worked for someone possibly a land owner/ farmer. I know his wife Margret comes from a small Village called Culworth. Years ago I visited the Northampton records office and remember seeing a document I'm sure that mentioned a charles Frost and the Bull family. I just wished I had taken notice at the time.
Yes he died using the surname of frost and his wife died using Frost-ault.
I know people change their names for many reasons, but I have a sneaky feeling about it.

Offline bedfordshire boy

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Re: Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?
« Reply #5 on: Monday 13 February 17 14:00 GMT (UK) »
We can only make suggestions when we are possession of the facts. The earlier thread which John found fizzled out with unanswered questions. So to avoid the same happening with this thread I repeat: who were the witnesses to the Woburn marriage, as they may provide a clue, and have you considered a possible connection between the Ault families who lived a couple of doors from each other in 1851*?

In 1837 Charles appears to have been a milkman.

David

* I'm sure there is a connection. In both 1851 and 1861 William Bull, Margaret's nephew was living with her. In 1861 his birthplace was given as Portland Town (later - a chapelry in Marylebone, Middlesex). In 1851 a couple of the other Aults also gave Portland Town as their birthplaces.
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Beds:   Cople: Luke/Spencer
            Everton: Hale
            Henlow: Cooper/Watts/Sabey/Rook
            Potton:  Merrill
            Southill: Faulkner/Litchfield/Sabey/Rook
            Woburn/Husborne Crawley: Surkitt
Hunts:   Gt Gransden: Merrill/Chandler/Medlock
            Toseland: Surkitt/Hedge/Corn         
Cambs: Bourn: Bowd
            Eltisley: Medlock
            Graveley: Ford/Revell

Offline johnP-bedford

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Re: Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?
« Reply #6 on: Monday 13 February 17 16:21 GMT (UK) »
There's a Charles Ault of Shewsbury Shropshire that married in Leighton Buzzard by licence on 18 Mar 1793 to Elizabeth Bates, they baptised daughter Elizabeth there, abode Heath&Reach, on 9 Jan 1797.
This Charles Ault of Sand House, Leighton Buzzard gave surety on the marriage allegation for John Tomkins, widower to Ann Butcher, widow, both of Heath&Reach, on 3 Apr 1804.

As per the Northampton Mercury of 3 Oct 1813, there's a notice to the debtors & creditors of the late Charles Ault, deceased, late of the Old Peacock Inn, called the Sand House in Leighton Buzzard ..... however I cannot find his burial... but the National Archives has his will ref PROB 11/1542/398 dated 28 Mar 1813, it'll cost you £3.45 for a downloaded copy.

There's a burial of Hannah Ault at Potsgrove on 4 Sept 1836 aged 74, abode was Sandhouse.

Perhaps he has link to your Charles Ault/Frost or his parents?   
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Partridge - North Beds; Northants & Peterborough
Bishop - Bedford; Hunts, Hemingford Grey
Allen - Hunts, Hemingford Abbotts
Clement - Croydon
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Offline bedfordshire boy

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Re: Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?
« Reply #7 on: Monday 13 February 17 17:01 GMT (UK) »
Good finds John.

The will is on Ancestry, Charles Ault of the Old Peacock Inn Sand House, Heath and Reach in the parish of Leighton Buzzard. I've had a quick look at it and his nephew Charles Frost son of Henry Frost was bequeathed £100 to be paid to him when he reached the age of 21. I'll have a closer look later tonight when I get back from my appointment with a barman.

He mentions  Hannah his "acknowledged wife, late Hannah Tompkins widow" and her children Thomas Tompkins and Elizabeth Tompkins, and his daughter Elizabeth Ault. He also mentions his sisters Mary and Sarah.

It wasn't unknown for beneficiaries to change their name to that of the person who had bequeathed them money.
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Beds:   Cople: Luke/Spencer
            Everton: Hale
            Henlow: Cooper/Watts/Sabey/Rook
            Potton:  Merrill
            Southill: Faulkner/Litchfield/Sabey/Rook
            Woburn/Husborne Crawley: Surkitt
Hunts:   Gt Gransden: Merrill/Chandler/Medlock
            Toseland: Surkitt/Hedge/Corn         
Cambs: Bourn: Bowd
            Eltisley: Medlock
            Graveley: Ford/Revell

Offline Gardener

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Re: Why did Charles Frost change his surname ?
« Reply #8 on: Monday 13 February 17 17:37 GMT (UK) »
The 1813 will for Charles Ault mentions nephews Charles Ault and Charles Ffrost :-)
Rose (Black Country),Downs (Black Country),Wolloxall (any and all),Bark (Derbyshire),Wright (Derbyshire),Marsden (Derbyshire), Wallace (Black Country)

All census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk