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Author Topic: Question on name change  (Read 748 times)

Offline sadge

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Question on name change
« on: Monday 28 August 17 17:42 BST (UK) »
Hi, I have a Joseph Thomas born 1884 registered in Leigh district from Tyldesley who on the 1901 census was living with his stepsister next door to this mother under the name Joseph Thomas and his sister was Lily Thomas, their mother took this surname from her stepfather, originally she was an Ivey born in Cornwall. When Lily and her brother Joseph married they married under the name of Ivey. I have not yet obtained the right birth certificate for Joseph and going to give it another try, but am wondering how common or easy it was to just change you name back then and if it was legal??

Apart from his birth I know all there is to know roughly about Joseph as he is my husbands grandfather and was killed in WW1. Am just perplexed by the name change and why after being a Thomas all the years they were would they change to being Ivey.

Thanks in advance

Susan

Offline Jebber

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Re: Question on name change
« Reply #1 on: Monday 28 August 17 17:47 BST (UK) »
You could always use whatever name you liked, as long as it was not for illegal purposes, the change did not need any legal process, although if you chose you could pay to change by Deed Poll.
CHOULES All ,  COKER Harwich Essex & Rochester Kent 
COLE Gt. Oakley, & Lt. Oakley, Essex.
DUNCAN Kent
EVERITT Colchester,  Dovercourt & Harwich Essex
GULLIVER/GULLOFER Fifehead Magdalen Dorset
HORSCROFT Kent.
KING Sturminster Newton, Dorset. MONK Odiham Ham.
SCOTT Wrabness, Essex
WILKINS Stour Provost, Dorset.
WICKHAM All in North Essex.
WICKHAM Medway Towns, Kent from 1880
WICKHAM, Ipswich, Suffolk.

Offline heywood

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Re: Question on name change
« Reply #2 on: Monday 28 August 17 18:12 BST (UK) »
Hello,

In 1901 he is shown as nephew  ???

1891 3091/48/

Elizabeth Ivy single 30 yrs dressmaker b Cornwall
Joseph Ivy   son 6 yrs
Mary Jane Thomas step sister 21 yrs
Sarah A Thomas step sister 11 yrs

1901 he is living with his mother's step sister so that would account for nephew.

Is that the right family?


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Offline groom

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Re: Question on name change
« Reply #3 on: Monday 28 August 17 18:26 BST (UK) »
Could this be his birth from the GRO site - the lack of mother's surname usually means she was unmarried. The name Rule could indicate his father's name.

IVEY, JOSEPH  RULE     mmn  -
1885 
J Quarter
REDRUTH  Volume 05C  Page 226
 
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Offline sadge

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Re: Question on name change
« Reply #4 on: Monday 28 August 17 18:38 BST (UK) »
Heywood yes that is the right family, the surname was spelt wrong as its Ivey .

  Jebber thanks for the information as I didn't know you could just change your name like that. I worried that when he married under the name Ivey it might not be legal, but he joined up in WW1 under that name also and when his wife died that surname died with her up this way.

groom I have looked in the past at the Joseph Rule Ivey but although the family are from Redruth our Joseph was born in Tyldesley, his mum first lived in Pemberton when they moved north for the mining.

Susan

Offline heywood

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Re: Question on name change
« Reply #5 on: Monday 28 August 17 18:42 BST (UK) »
Do you have the family before 1891?
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Offline sadge

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Re: Question on name change
« Reply #6 on: Monday 28 August 17 19:01 BST (UK) »
Yes Heywood I have Joseph's mother Elizabeth Ivey from who was born in 1861 in Brea Cornwall she is on the 1861 census, right through to the 1911 one, thank you.

Susan

Offline heywood

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Re: Question on name change
« Reply #7 on: Monday 28 August 17 19:01 BST (UK) »
Here is 1881 3781/30/7
Orrell, Lancs

Richard Thomas   widower 37 yrs Coal Miner b Camborne, Cornwall
Mary Jane Thomas daughter 12 yrs b Camborne
Elizabeth Ivey step daughter 20 yrs b Camborne
Sarah Ann Ivey grand stepdaughter 1 yr b Pemberton

So is Sarah Ann also Elizabeth's child?

I had just found this when you posted.
It was just that you said Joseph was with his step sister but Mary Jane would be his step aunt, I think?
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Offline sadge

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Re: Question on name change
« Reply #8 on: Monday 28 August 17 19:13 BST (UK) »
Heywood, when Sarah A Thomas was baptised at the age of 19 years it is down that Richard Thomas and Jane were here parents. Now given Jane died in 1878 I would doubt very much she was her daughter. We do not know who the father is of any of these children but might hazard  guess that it might be Richard Thomas but no proof.

Susan
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