Surname Phillips-Williams

[0ctavia]

Hello. One of the people I am researching on my family tree is Ronald Torr – later to become Ronald Phillips-Williams. DOB 15/11/1935 – Walsall, Staffordshire).  I’m trying to find out where the surname Phillips-Williams fits in. By the age of seven Ronald had lost both parents, and the 1939 register shows that at some point he was adopted and his surname had become Phillips-Williams, although I have been unable to find out why. I thought that maybe he was adopted by his Auntie Gladys Ruck, but that doesn't account for the Phillips-Williams. I would prefer not to spend money on certificates etc because I have lots and lots of people to research! So any pointers/info would be gratefully received.

[AMBLY]

Hello,

Was Ronald a twin, mms Colley? (twin may still be living?)

He was registered born Dec Qtr Walsall, as Ronald S TORR, mms Colley ?

The 1939 Register was a 'living' or 'working' document document - so as certain life events happened until abt 1991,  the record was updated - for example to show married names of females , or divorces, or name change re adoption as in Ronald's case.

The register records that Ronald was Adopted - 15.2.45 - I think it's 45. And his name became Ronald Bert Phillips-Williams. So appears that his adopted parents kept his birth first name, changed the middle name.

You may have this image - His father was Herbert Torr, died 1942
https://wrecksite.eu/peopleView.aspx?135532

Cheers
AMBLY

[0ctavia]

Hi Ambly. Yes, Ronald had a twin brother called Kenneth. Parents were Herbert and Evelyn Colley. Re Ronald’s adoption - yes, l see the details on the 1939 Register. I agree - it’s a little tricky to decipher the year he was adopted!

Yes, thank you, l had come across the wreck site info.

Thank you for the reply. Will continue to try and figure out where the Phillips-Williams comes from.
 

[0ctavia]

Some more info to help those lovely people taking the time to point me in the right direction (and to up my post count to three so I can hopefully reply to the personal message I've recently received!):

Ronald had a twin brother called Kenneth and they were born on 15th November 1935. Their parents were Herbert and Evelyn Torr. Evelyn died at the age of 24 from childbirth in 1940, and Herbert died in 1942 whilst aboard the submarine HMS Thorn which is listed lost in action August 1942.

Big thanks for those helping :-)

[bbart]

Looks to be a "yes" to the twins, Ambly:
(date in image name is date of newspaper issue)

[bbart]

A few more tidbits, but nothing so far about the name change:

Derby Daily Telegraph  30 September 1942

Mentions Herbert's sister as being Mrs. R. A. Long, of 76 Cambridge-street, Derby, and that Herbert was the youngest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Torr formerly of Shaftesbury-street, Derby.
Herbert was on the submarine HMS Thorn when lost. Herbert's home address was Brownhills, Staffs, and he attended Reginald-street School, Derby,  before volunteering for the Navy at age 16.

The Walsall Observer, and South Staffordshire Chronicle.   13 March 1943

Herbert's brother Albert states that Herbert's wife died about 18 months ago, and the twin sons were in a "home for sailor's children", and the baby daughter was with a grandmother, Mrs. Howdle, of Linden Road, Brownhills.

[bbart]

Apologies, 0ctavia.... I didn't welcome you to Rootschat!
Anyways, the attached article has more on the orphage the boys went to;  it is from The Walsall Observer, and South Staffordshire Chronicle issued 17 October 1942.

[garstonite]

Commonwealth War Graves has Herbert Torr b 1909 Hampshire - death 1942

[0ctavia]

Oh wow! bbart, these are gold! Thank you soooo much. It gives me some more lines of enquiry.