Changing surnames
 

My ancestors from Devon used both their surnames as their married name. the ancestor I am chasing finally dropped one of the names and used a single surname which was his mothers. He had Fifteen children ( found in the English census) but his siblings maintained the fathers surname. finally found where they matched up but how do i write this in the family tree ?

Software packages should allow you to use alternative surnames. I found one family using three different surnames as both father and grandfather were illegitimate.
I would use the main surname they were known by but add an explanation. Sometimes changes are made in the hope of inheriting something.

thanks for the info, I have thought of so many reasons for changing the name but didn't give the chance of inheritance a thought.

I have one ancestor who changed to using his wife's surname when he was released from debtor's prison! The problem with that, for me at least, is that there was already a man of that name living in the same street, doing the same job and with a wife of the same name.

OC

One of mine from Australia changed his surname to his wife's because he was a deserter from the Army.