Author Topic: Legge or Thorne can anyone explain this please.  (Read 1191 times)

Offline Landyman

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Legge or Thorne can anyone explain this please.
« on: Wednesday 27 June 18 18:30 BST (UK) »
Hello

Using FindMyPast I have come across a series of births and two marriages in Aldermarston between 1601 and 1697 listed as surname "Legge or Thorne" or "Thorne or Legge" - or variant spellings thereof _ they only occur in Aldermarston and the same "Thorne or Legge" appears on Ancestry. Without being able to see the original registers I don't really understand why they should have two very different names? Has anyone come across this before - does anyone know what the surname was and why the choice? :-\ ???

Rob

Offline youngtug

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Re: Legge or Thorne can anyone explain this please.
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 27 June 18 19:02 BST (UK) »
The use of an "alias" surname was fairly common at that time,
.http://www.rootschat.com/links/05q2/   
  WILSON;-Wiltshire.
 SOUL;-Gloucestershire.
 SANSUM;-Berkshire-Wiltshire
 BASSON-BASTON;- Berkshire,- Oxfordshire.
 BRIDGES;- Wiltshire.
 DOWDESWELL;-Wiltshire,Gloucestershire
 JORDAN;- Berkshire.
 COX;- Berkshire.
 GOUDY;- Suffolk.
 CHATFIELD;-Sussex-- London
 MORGAN;-Blaenavon-Abersychan
 FISHER;- Berkshire.
 BLOMFIELD-BLOOMFIELD-BLUMFIELD;-Suffolk.
DOVE. Essex-London
YOUNG-Berkshire
ARDEN.
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Offline youngtug

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Re: Legge or Thorne can anyone explain this please.
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 27 June 18 19:04 BST (UK) »
Quote
The period during which aliases were most used in the U.K. coincided with the development of surnames, approximately 1460 to 1650, and continued to be used for much longer periods, even into the 1800's.
Quote
From here;  https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Use_of_Aliases_-_an_Overview
.http://www.rootschat.com/links/05q2/   
  WILSON;-Wiltshire.
 SOUL;-Gloucestershire.
 SANSUM;-Berkshire-Wiltshire
 BASSON-BASTON;- Berkshire,- Oxfordshire.
 BRIDGES;- Wiltshire.
 DOWDESWELL;-Wiltshire,Gloucestershire
 JORDAN;- Berkshire.
 COX;- Berkshire.
 GOUDY;- Suffolk.
 CHATFIELD;-Sussex-- London
 MORGAN;-Blaenavon-Abersychan
 FISHER;- Berkshire.
 BLOMFIELD-BLOOMFIELD-BLUMFIELD;-Suffolk.
DOVE. Essex-London
YOUNG-Berkshire
ARDEN.
PINEGAR-COLLIER-HUGHES-JEFFERIES-HUNT-MOSS-FRY

Offline goldie61

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Re: Legge or Thorne can anyone explain this please.
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 27 June 18 22:19 BST (UK) »
Hello

 Has anyone come across this before - does anyone know what the surname was and why the choice?

Yes, I have a couple of families who did this. One for several generations.
I have still yet to uncover how the two names are connected. I think it was similar to 'double-barrelling' today. That is, at some point after a marriage they used both names, but instead of writing it Smith-Brown, they called themselves Smith otherwise (or alias) Brown.
Lane, Burgess: Cheshire. Finney, Rogers, Gilman:Derbys
Cochran, Nicol, Paton, Bruce:Scotland. Bertolle:London
Bainbridge, Christman, Jeffs: Staffs


Offline ribbo39

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Re: Legge or Thorne can anyone explain this please.
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 27 June 18 23:33 BST (UK) »
Hi,

I have come across several members in my tree who had an "alias". Looking further into their ancestry, I found that the term was often used as a way of saying they were illegitimate, using the name they were brought up with and the mother's name, or alternatively a father's name and mother's name.

Alan
Browse, Peggs, Revans/Revance/Ribbans, Spall,   in Suffolk/Norfolk
Belcher, Elderfield, Froude, Saunders,  Stimson, Tame,   in Berks
Artis, Gray in Norfolk

Offline newburychap

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Re: Legge or Thorne can anyone explain this please.
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 28 June 18 08:32 BST (UK) »
It can be an indication of illegitimacy - the mother's surname and the putative father's.
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