Thomas Astley birth registration missing?

[Davedrave]

Any idea why the name change to Chesshire?

I’m pretty sure that Thomas Astley was the illegitimate son of Mary Astley and was baptised in Solihull in 1807 (1851 census gives place of birth as Lapworth but 1861 etc say Solihull). The name change happened between the 1841 and 1851 censuses. I haven’t identified mother Mary’s marriage or burial.

I wonder whether at some point Thomas somehow learned the identity of his father. His sons in adulthood seem to have changed their surname Astley to a middle name. Son Thomas seems very likely to be the Thomas Astley Chesshire who married in Solihull district in 1870. When daughter Eleanor Astley married in Lapworth in 1855 she seems to have been unsure whether to refer to her father as Astley or Chesshire, but opted finally for the former. At first I thought that Thomas Astley and Thomas Chesshire referred to in the parish register were different people, and that Chesshire was a stepfather,  but the 1841 and 1851 censuses suggest that Thomas Chesshire was actually the same individual previously called Thomas Astley.

The Chesshires were farmers in the area. Thomas Astley-became-Chesshire later became a farmer, but I haven’t found any Chesshire will which might throw any light on the matter.

[Davedrave]

Thanks to coombs for providing the Beoley baptisms of Marys. Unfortunately, having checked all of them I have not identified the baptism of Mary wife of Thomas Astley/Chesshire. However, having just got the pdf of Mary Chesshire’s 1874 death reg, I have now found that husband Thomas is called Thomas Astley Chesshire on it, so at least that mystery is solved. I now know that Mary (maiden name unknown) married Thomas Astley, and they were later known as Mary Chesshire and Thomas Astley Chesshire (....or was she Mary Astley Chesshire on Sundays? ).

Dave

[coombs]

Thanks to coombs for providing the Beoley baptisms of Marys. Unfortunately, having checked all of them I have not identified the baptism of Mary wife of Thomas Astley/Chesshire. However, having just got the pdf of Mary Chesshire’s 1874 death reg, I have now found that husband Thomas is called Thomas Astley Chesshire on it, so at least that mystery is solved. I now know that Mary (maiden name unknown) married Thomas Astley, and they were later known as Mary Chesshire and Thomas Astley Chesshire (....or was she Mary Astley Chesshire on Sundays? ).

Dave

Glad to be of assistance. Sadly there were quite a few Mary's baptised in Beoley at the time range, so it is hard to find out which, if any, is her.