Surname change

[Sally]

Please does anybody know whether, in around 1870 to 1880ish, it was possible to just change your name without any legalities, or would there be a record somewhere to show that this happened?

Sally

[Merry]

You can still do that now in theory! Though what with computers, banks, passports etc etc etc it's probably not so easy, however in the past you could probably quiet easily change your name without any problems at all.

I have two people on my tree who did this, but they did both go to a solicitor and change their names by deed poll - one was in the 1870s and the other in 1907. Both had money and inheritances to come which is probably why they used a legal chanel to make the change. Both events were reported in The Times.

[Olde Crone]

Even today, you can change your name without any formality at all, although these days you would need to demonstrate a paper trail from one name to the other. Legally, your name is what you are known as..no one has a "legal" name that they MUST use.

Back in the 1800s, you just woke up one morning and started using the new name.

OC

[Sally]

Thank you for that OC......I suspected as much but needed it clarifying.

So unfortunately, I may be unable to find the positive proof that someone did this even though most of the evidence is in place.

Thank you again (hmmmm, perhaps I will be someone different tomorrow)

[Nell]

My husband's gt gt grandfather changed from Dennis McCarthy to James McCarthy to James Carter in the space of 3 censuses. Some of his children remained as McCarthy and others stayed as Carter.

His gt grandfather couldn't get the GRO to find his birth cert because it was registered as McCarthy instead of Carter.

[Sally]

Nell, that one is a major name change! The one that I have is on my husband's Sewell line - John George Sewell was originally John George Kemp, and changed his surname just before his marriage.

If not for GF, with to my mind the best family history research help on any genealogists sites, I may well have given up on this one as John George was a huge problem for me.

For all those that helped me and who might remember the Sewell saga - this is the brief precis of what happened:
John Sewell (Tailor) had one daughter by his first marriage. First wife died.
John Sewell left to cope with small child on own, probably turned to friends for help.....maybe including close friends the Kemps.
Eliza Kemp gives birth to John George in the Workhouse in January 1852 - no father given.
Eliza either died shortly afterwards or married a couple of years later(will send for certs as both are definite maybes - I tend to think that the death is most likely)
In April 1852 John the Tailor marries for the second time - a totally new lady from out of the blue, and Eliza's sister is one of the witnesses.
Less than one year later, he commits suicide - new wife not in evidence on the death certificate, and newspaper report said that he was depressed with money worries and a chest disease.
Eliza's sister brings up John George Kemp.
1871 he is in London, Islington, working as a draper's assistant
1881 he is married (he gives John Sewell, Tailor as his father on the cert) and is now John George Sewell. He changes occupations from time to time!

I could write a good novel about this family, given previous history and also post history!!! Might just do that. Anyway, once again thank you most excellent researchers - not just for this bit, but for all the help in other lines.

Sally

[Uncle John]

Sometimes people have to change their name in order to qualify for an inheritance.

[Olde Crone]

I have several people in my tree, born illegitimate and using their mother's maiden name in early life, sometimes interspersed with the surname of their stepfather, if the mother subsequently married.

Then in later life they use yet another surname, which I mostly can prove is the surname of their biological father. In most cases, they don't start using this surname until their natural father has died - so's not to embarrass him, perhaps?

So, Miss Smith gives birth to Johnny Smith. She subsequently marries Mr Brown, and we see Johnny Brown on a couple of census with mother and stepfather (but not described as stepson!). Later, Johnny calls himself Johnny Jones and a bit of rummaging around uncovers the fact that his natural father was a Mr Jones - he mentions Johnny in his Will, in one particular case, although carefully not making any reference to the relationship between them.

OC

[Mary from Italy]

Although it wasn't compulsory to publicise a change of name anywhere, they are sometimes reported in the Gazette:


http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/home.aspx?GeoType=London

[Sally]

OC, that sounds exactly the same sort of thing but then as John George's father died just a couple of years after his birth something other than embarrassment was the reason for his name change. His marriage seems to have been the catalyst, and as his mother's sister was a witness then maybe she had given him the truth at that time? Who knows.

Uncle John, in this case money would not have been a factor as the father died virtually penniless.

[Nell]

Your chap was born illegitimate and registered with mother's surname Kemp. But when he married he changed his surname to match his father's surname. Probably wanted to be all respectable and didn't want awkward questions about why his father's surname was different from his own!

[Sally]

Hehe, I think so too Nell