Surname puzzle on birth certificate

[Ruskie]

Yes, I was wondering if the Smith surname came from the mother's side, possibly through illegitimacy or a previous marriage.

I couldn't see a marriage for William and Catherine on Freebmd either. Does it say where Catherine was from on the 1871 census?

I suppose it's possible (but probably unlikely looking at the ages) that Catherine isn't William John's mother  .... with William John being born in India you'll probably need to post another query on a more suitable board if you want to find his birth certificate.

[annieb22]

She was apparently from Manchester, Lancashire.

[Ruskie]

Thinking they may have married in Manchester then .... still, nothing on Freebmd or Lancashire bmd. 

[annieb22]

I've been in touch with the record office and they've checked the original entry. Unfortunately, there's no additional information about the surname. Not sure if I can go anywhere from here.

What I'm thinking is that perhaps Cyril was adopted and his real name was Smith but there wasn't any other way to show on the birth certificate his real name other than to put Smith as the parent's surname.

[RichardK]

Potential skeleton in cupboard theory here:

It strikes me that there's a big gap in this family - Maud was born about 1882 but then her brother Cyril wasn't born until September quarter 1895.  Perhaps William Ellen was away for long periods?  I also notice that there was a Blanche Ellen who married in Sunderland district in March quarter 1895 - and one of the other names on the same page was a William Smith.  What if Blanche had bigamously married William Smith and conceived a child with him, but then her first husband William Ellen reasserted his place as her husband?  Would the child born that autumn then be an Ellen or a Smith?  Perhaps worth getting the marriage:
Blanch ELLEN, MarQ 1895, Sunderland RD, 10a, 700
to see if it looks like that's plausible.

Failing that, you could always try parish records in the Seaham area to see if Cyril was baptised - there may be a note explaining the circumstances of his birth there.

An intriguing one - good luck.
R

[annieb22]

Wow, thanks Richard. I hadn't noticed that marriage but it certainly looks worth chasing up. I shall order the certificate.

I'm now wondering if perhaps William Smith took the Ellen name for some reason. I can't find a death for William John Ellen but it did seem odd to me that in 1901, his age is the same as Blanche's (William's age in the other censuses was 3-5 years younger). Also, they've moved to Brighton but more interesting is that in 1901 he says he was born in Scotland whereas in the other censuses he was born in the East Indies, two completely different countries. The question is why?

I'll post how I get on.

[RichardK]

I wonder who this is:
d. DecQ 1892, Paddington RD, 1a, 30, William John ELLEN, aged 32
Seems to fit your man from the 1881 and 1891 censuses - albeit other end of the country.  If that is him, then Blanche would have been free to marry William Smith in 1895 - but why would he then change his name to Ellen?

[Gartag]

Unfortunately I have nothing to offer.  I find this intriguing have only 'butted' in so I can keep track of this post and see the outcome.

To be fair though I will watch ferverently and if I find I can help any where I will do so.

Garth

[jorose]

A 1885 mention of William John Ellen:
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25455/pages/1377

Catherine seems to have passed away in 1890 and William James Ellen remarried - do you have them in later censuses? I was thinking that perhaps William James left a will.