James Adams b. 1844 Cheshire

[AlmaB]

Does anyone have any clues about the following family found in the 1871 census:

James Adams b. 1844 Tailor, Nantwich
Mary (Wife     b.1844           Diddleston, Shropshire
James Strange Stepson b.1864 Chester
Ann Strange Stepdaughter b.1866 Chester
Mary E Adams daugther b.1868 Chester

Adress  15, Grape Lane, St.Michael Le Belfrey, York.

I've posted before on Lancashire page as it was suggested that this family could have had a change of name to Bell which is the family I'm researching.  The family are very similar and are in Manchester in 1881.  How can I find if there was definitely a change of name from Adams to Bell

[Milliepede]

Who is in Manchester in 1881 - these 5 people? and under which name?

[AlmaB]

Sorry, I've given the wrong info.  The family I'm looking for I found on the 1881 census: in Kingston upon Hull

James Bell b. Cheshire 1864 Bill Poster
Mary Bell   b. Shropshire 1864
Ann Bell    b. Cheshire 1868
Mary Bell   b. Cheshire  1868
Robert Bell b. Manchester 1876 (My Grandfather)

I can find no trace of the Adams family after 1871 or the Bell  family before 1881.  I found my Grandfather's baptism on the Lancashire Parish clerk project  at St. Matthew's church, Manchester in 1876 along with two brothers who were both given second names of Adam. I've since found the Bell family in 1891, 1901 and 1911.  It sounds very confusing but  if you look at the previous posts I made on the Lancashire page and the replies I received it may become clearer. 

[AlmaB]

The original Title I posted was Robert Bell b.1876 Manchester on 16 September 2012. I posted this on the English counties page Lancashire.  Thank you for reply 

[WolfieSmith]

Very interesting. I've read your other thread and it does seem to be a spontaneous change of name. Sometimes this is due to the person having been given a stepfathers name, then reverting to their birth surname later in life. However that doesn't seem to be the case.

James Adam. Baptized Nantwich 8 August 1844. Parents Mark and Elizabeth. He's with his parents in 1851 and they are living together, but not married, in 1841. Mark Adam, born Scotland, and Elizabeth Higgins.

So either James Adam, the tailor, died or disappeared, and Mary took up with a James Bell, the bill poster, who was the same age and born in the same place as James Adam, or there was a spontaneous name change.

Its possible they were hiding, so either bankruptcy, or owing money, or for a criminal reason.

There is an article in the Manchester Times, Sat Jan 16, 1875. "Salford Quarter Sessions" - Six months : James Bell, Bill Poster, age 29, for obtaining by false pretences at Oldham, on the 14th December, a pair of boots and a horse clipping machine.

I'd be tempted to get a copy of his son John William Bell birth cert. You know from census that he was born in Leeds, and from his baptism in Manchester, that he was born 1st April 1873. So this is probably his birth - John William Bell, Jun qtr 1873, Leeds 9b 462. See what it says about his mothers maiden name, fathers occupation.

Alan.

[AlmaB]

Thanks for all the information Wolfie, I was very interested in the Manchester Times piece regarding  James Adams conviction, it does sound as though it could be my Grt. Grandfather.  Can you tell me where I can get hold of that, Is it available on ancestry.co.uk.  I did have a reply from a descendent of John William Bell's to say that there were two names for parents on John Williams marriage cert, Mary Strange and James Bell so it does sound like a definite change of name. I will probably send for Birth cert. in Leeds to see if there is any more info.