Did my 2x Great Grandmother changed her middle name??

[cindym19721]

Is this page of marriages relevant?

Dec qtr 1872 Shoreditch 1c 355

Henry Denington
Thomas Herbert
Martha Mary Miles
Harriet Martha Wright

Thomas Herbert was my 2x Great Grandfather.

You assumed that her name was Martha Mary Miles...  Why?

On later census records she appears as Martha Mary.

[avm228]

Martha Sarah was baptised in Shoreditch 1851, daughter of John and Elizabeth Miles.

John was a basket maker, matching the paternal details on the 1872 marriage entry for Martha Mary Miles.

Abode at the time of the baptism: White Hart Court.

Martha's birthdate according the baptism register: 1 April 1851 (baptised 21 April).

This will mean she just missed out on appearing in the 1851 census (30 March 1851) if correct.

[hallmark]

You assumed that her name was Martha Mary Miles...  Why?

On later census records she appears as Martha Mary.

Ahh.  Didn't know that.

[cindym19721]

You assumed that her name was Martha Mary Miles...  Why?

On later census records she appears as Martha Mary.

Ahh.  Didn't know that.

Not a problem, I think I forgot to mention it in the starting post

In answer to the main question - it is very common to find names changed, added to, switched around etc in historical records. It will require further digging to find out whether that is what is likely to have happened here.

I knew it could happen, but never thought someone would change their middle name, I find it very unusual! Mind you, on my friend's family tree, she has a Great Grandad who changed his 4 names around completely and turned Waters into Walter, and that's how he was known!

[brigidmac]

have you seen the original records of birth and baptism ?

could be a mistranscription somewhere
in 1900 my grandmother had a different middle name on birth certificate to her baptism .

[cindym19721]

have you seen the original records of birth and baptism ?

could be a mistranscription somewhere
in 1900 my grandmother had a different middle name on birth certificate to her baptism .

I’ve seen the documents on ancestry, bishop transcripts and parish christening record shows her as Martha Sarah, then a census says Martha Mary but as I said there’s no second wife so it has to be the same woman

[Maiden Stone]

Which census year was she Martha Mary? Unless it was 1911 it may have been clerical error.

[cindym19721]

Which census year was she Martha Mary? Unless it was 1911 it may have been clerical error.

1881 census shows Martha M and 1901 shows her as Martha Mary, 1911 shows Martha Marcy which is a transcription error

[iolaus]

My great grandfather added a middle name - it was the name of his twin brother (who I didn't know existed - although I do remember him) who died when young.  Originally - birth, baptism, military, marriage etc he doesn't have a middle name - by death he adds Frank as a middle name

What religion was your Martha? could Mary be her confirmation name?