two names?

[Wilmit]

Is there anyone out there who could help me in my search?
I know that one should bury our ancestors to be sure they existed but what can be done when that seems to be impossible?
I have a dilemma in that I cannot prove which of two men was my great grandfather as I seem uinable to bury either of them
I have a feeling that they are one and the same person using different names because when I can find one on the census returns I cannot find the other but how can I prove it?
Is there anyone who could help me to resolve this huge problem which I have been trying to solve for years?
 

[nigelp]

Welcome to RootsChat.

Can you post some information on what you know to enable others to assist - eg names, dates and places of birth and marriages....?

Nigel

[Wilmit]

It all started in March in Cambridgeshire.   In June 1855 John W Wilkinson (Wilkerson) b 1833 a widower married Sarah Towch (Touch) b about 1833.  They had 2 children - Harry b 1858 and Ann b 1860. Census 1861 - John not to be found but Sarah is in Forest Gate Essex with Charles Mitcham (Mitchem) b 1825 - 1833,  Harry and Ann.  Census 1871 - John not found, Sarah still with Charles but in Mile End, no Harry nor Ann but 5 more children one of which was my grandfather.  1877 Sarah died in Mile End - informant E Fleming (can't find a connection but wasn't the doctor) and is described on the death cert as 'The wife of John Wilkinson'.   Census 1881- 3 of Sarah's children living with John Wilkinson and 'wife' Julia in Mile End in a different house.   The boys had taken Mitcham as their middle names and become Wilkinsons.   I cannot find deaths for Charles Mitcham nor John Wilkinsom

[ammonite]

What do the children's birth certificates say for their fathers name?  Is it given as John Wilkinson consistently or does Charles Mitcham appear on the certificates at all?

[Wilmit]

Harry and Ann were both registered as Wilkinson - born in March Cambs - Father John Wilkinson but were named Mitcham on the 1861 census in Forest Gate
Mary Ann, Charles Henry (my Grandfather), James and Sarah Jane registered as Mitcham and born in West Ham.    Annie registered as Mitcham and born in Mile End.   All with father Charles Mitcham
!861 and 1871 Census show Charles Mitcham, the father as being born in Cambridgeshire but I haven't found the link.
John Wilkinson's mother's maiden name was Mitcham/Mitchell but I cannot prove a link from there either.
Charles Henry Mitcham (my grandfather) became Charles Mitcham Wilkinson for the 1881 census and on his marriage cert in 1885 where he named his own father as - not Charles Mitcham nor John Wilkinson  but Charles Wilkinson!    He was also Charles Mitcham Wilkinson on the birth cert for his 1st born in 1886.   Thereafter on the births and marriages of his children he was either named as just Charles Wilkinson or Charles Henry Wilkinson.

[nigelp]

Do you have the birth certificates for the children?

If yes, what is shown as the maiden name of Sarah on the certificates for Harry and Ann? What is the maiden name shown on the certificates for the later children?

Who is named as the father of John Wilkerson (Wilkinson) in the marriage certificate?

Nigel

[Wilmit]

All birth certs except one but I have the reference.
Sarah nee Touch on all of them, including Harry and Ann.
John Wilkinson's (Wilkerson) father was James Wilkinson and his mother was Ann nee Mitchell/Mitcham
James and Ann had three Johns over 14 years, the first two died young.

[regross]

hi,

Interesting problem you have.

My instinct is that it is the same man.

In my research I could not find the parents of two prominent English artists, their surname was quite distictive and their children were also renowned artists, mathematicians and engineers knighted etc. Very well documented. I had birth dates and places so it should have been easy!!!

It proved not  to be easy, I got absolutely nowhere. Eventually another closer related researcher  uncocered the fact that their surname was not their birth names.

What had happened was that their father had been pressganged into the army and absconded; and to prevent his discovery the family had adopted his his nickname as their surname!!!.  With the true surname as Cox I was able to find the births of the two brothers and then of course their siblings!!!.

The ruse worked because the father remained free until his death (registered under his assumed name) so from 1817 to 1840 they had the surname Cox and then it was changed. They married in in the 1850's under their assumed names. The assumed name has been mistranscribed on most cenuses so they are really hard to find.

I feel you have a bit of a mystery to uncover so keep working at it!!

regards

Robyn

[PrueM]

Obvious question, but have you got Charles Mitcham in the 1881 census?

And what birthplace/s are given for John Wilkinson and Charles Mitcham in the various census returns?