Henry Who?

[littlefacey]

Henry Brown was born around 1898 (according to census records) in South Shields, Durham to James Brown and Eliza Dawson who were married in 1898. Upon looking at the GRO index I found a Henry Brown Dawson born in SS, Durham in 1897 so straight away I thought - ok this is my guy but I have been given a marriage cert from someone else researching the same person which states Henry to be Henry Nelson Dawson Brown? I understand he was probably known as Henry Brown but where has this Nelson come from? Have I possibly been looking into the wrong guy?

[littlefacey]

Also can anyone decipher his address?

[iluleah]

On a marriage cert the name is 'given information' so not primary imformation, the only primary information on a marriage cert is the place and date they married, so don't read too much into the name, or even who he claimed his father was...people lied, exagerated or simply made it up as they lived on

I will give you an example, my great grandfather was born and baptised with his first, middle and surname, that is his 'real' name, on the first census he was 11 months old and his name is the same, second census 10 yrs later he had stopped using his first name, another 10 yrs he had 'adopted' his mothers surname and dropped his 'legal' surname, When he married 4 yrs later he used his full legal name plus his mothers surname and named his grandfather as his father, he had several children on their baptisms he used a selection of his 'names' some all four of them, some two of them, wife died he married again using his orginal middle name and his mothers surname and names his uncle as his father ( yet his 'named father' from his birth cert was still married to his mother and both alive)  and when he died he was buried using another selection of the names and buried in another church yrd 3 miles away from where his head stone is.
At that time people didn't have to show their birth cert to get marry, then (like now) you can choose to use any name you want as long as it was not to commit crime.

The primary records you need to look for are his baptism record and purchase his birth certificate, those will give you his 'real' name

[emeltom]

If his father's surname is Brown and his mother's maiden name was Dawson why would he be registered as Henry Brown Dawson?

[littlefacey]

If his father's surname is Brown and his mother's maiden name was Dawson why would he be registered as Henry Brown Dawson?

I've found that several people did this when their child was born illegitimately they would take the fathers surname and insert it as a middle name.

[littlefacey]

On a marriage cert the name is 'given information' so not primary imformation, the only primary information on a marriage cert is the place and date they married, so don't read too much into the name, or even who he claimed his father was...people lied, exagerated or simply made it up as they lived on

I will give you an example, my great grandfather was born and baptised with his first, middle and surname, that is his 'real' name, on the first census he was 11 months old and his name is the same, second census 10 yrs later he had stopped using his first name, another 10 yrs he had 'adopted' his mothers surname and dropped his 'legal' surname, When he married 4 yrs later he used his full legal name plus his mothers surname and named his grandfather as his father, he had several children on their baptisms he used a selection of his 'names' some all four of them, some two of them, wife died he married again using his orginal middle name and his mothers surname and names his uncle as his father ( yet his 'named father' from his birth cert was still married to his mother and both alive)  and when he died he was buried using another selection of the names and buried in another church yrd 3 miles away from where his head stone is.
At that time people didn't have to show their birth cert to get marry, then (like now) you can choose to use any name you want as long as it was not to commit crime.

The primary records you need to look for are his baptism record and purchase his birth certificate, those will give you his 'real' name

Thank you.. i needed someone to verify this for me as I started doubting myself .. 

[LizzieL]

If his father's surname is Brown and his mother's maiden name was Dawson why would he be registered as Henry Brown Dawson?

I've found that several people did this when their child was born illegitimately they would take the fathers surname and insert it as a middle name.

No mother's maiden name lised on that 1897 entry, implying he was illegitimate. Then he switched the middle name with surname later so that him being slightly illegitimate wasn't so obvious.
But Nelson is a puzzle as you say.

[manukarik]

Address looks like 75 Denmark Street

[iluleah]

Thank you.. i needed someone to verify this for me as I started doubting myself .. 

Don't doubt yourself just follow the real records and know what primary and secondary information is on each one, find EVERY real record you can so you have the opportunity to cross reference and  that you are human and humans like logic/reason and many times logic doesn't come into it especially todays logic/reasons.
ALL the records we research were never intended for FH they are just a record of the event that happened, so you have to read between the lines and remember that times 100yrs ago were different to now, it 'looks' like he was illegitimate and then in society it was 'shameful' not only for his mum but for him too and for his whole life so understandable why so many tried hard to hide that.

I would agree with manukarik it looks like 75 Denmark St although you know the address before marriage could mean a lodging address or even leaving a suitcase full of clothes for 3 weeks only while the marriage banns were read.

.....and as far as his added name, maybe he just liked it, maybe it was his grandmothers surname