Very Confusing Tale

[crisane]

This looks like the Ellen with Joshua in 1881 which has Charles Johnson as son-in-law which was sometimes used to mean stepson
1871 RG10/3027/132/3
James Johnson  46 iron worker
Ellen Johnson  44
Ester Braefier  23 dau
Isaac Braefier  24 son-in-law
Ellen Braefier  4
William Johnson  20 son
Charles Johnson  11 Kingswinford, Staffordshire

Marriage June 1/4 1880   
On same page
Joshua Didlock   and Ellen Johnson     Dudley  6c/13

Still no nearer to finding out why Joshua changed his family name to Butcher for a few years. I tried looking for newspaper articles without any luck.  My grandfather did the same thing to escape the clutches of his second wife but like your Joshua he was found because of his children's names and birth dates. My grandfather also moved to a different town but Joshua seems to have stayed put.
At least we know that Joshua and Maria didn't commit bigamy as Maria died and Joshua was free to marry.

 

[Millmoor]

Interestingly there is a baptism for a Joshua Butcher in Caynham 8th August 1852 with parents Joshua and Maria.

There is a  previous thread on the Didlick/ Didlock family on Rootschat (don't know how to add link!) which I think you would find of interest. One reply gives Lucy Didlick's parents as Samuel Didlick and Eunice Ann Butcher.

I really do think the explanation of your Didlick/ Butcher conundrum is that he was  born before but baptized after his parents were married.

William

[mookp1892]

Hi all! thanks for all your comments.

Crisane, I have ordered James and Caroline's marriage cert. and it should be here early next week. I think I did mix up the Maria's. I have found a Maria Didlock death in 1877, perhaps this was Caroline's mother and the Joshua married Ellen Johnson. Crisane, luckily the children had uncommon names so it has been easier to see that they were the same family with a different surname!

Venelow, I haven't got Joshua's marriage certificates, I might get them to see if anything can be cleared up. Thank you Maureen.

Millmoor I had seen the Joshua Didlake baptism and had thought it was the correct one. Then the name Eunice Ann doesn't tally with Amy. maybe Eney/Amy was short for Eunice 

[crisane]

hello
Do comeback when you get the certificate and let us know what it says.

[Millmoor]

Perhaps you could obtain the birth certificate of one of Joshua's younger siblings as those could help to confirm parents names. The marriage record of Samuel and Eunice Ann shows that they signed with a mark.

The marriage of sister Lucy is under the surname Didlock to James Southall in Tipton.

Suggest you do look for the Didlick/Didlock thread I referred to. There may be fellow RootsChat members  you might wish to contact.

Joshua's marriage record can be seen on FindMyPast which now has a lot of Shropshire parish records.

William

[mookp1892]

Hello again.

Crisane, I have attached a copy of the certificate. My scanner is broke so had to take a photo of it instead. It doesn't really reveal much we didn't already know 

I want to get Caroline's birth cert. but unsure whether I should order the Caroline Butcher or Caroline Didlock entry.

Millmoor, how did you find out that Samuel and Eunice signed with a mark?

Thanks all

[Millmoor]

I found out that they signed with a mark as there is a collection of parish records for Shropshire on FindMyPast where you can see the actual images.

William

[mookp1892]

Oh fantastic! I'll have a look now

Sorry, I just looked at your message before and it said the record was on Find My Past

[Wred]

As the family have the same name throughout perhaps this confusion was caused by the enumerator transcribing the surname incorrectly? If the family could not read they probably took what he recorded as correct.