My silly family!-Allen branch-names?

[sparklingtechie]

Seriously, more than half of them needs their heads testing!!!(quiet in the peanut gallery!):2fun::2fun::2fun:

My 2nd Ggandfather William Charles Allen born abt 1859.

On the marriage banns of his son, of the same name born in 1882 he is listed a William Charles Allen (deceased). In the 1891 census he is listed as William Charles Allen.

It doesn't take much to work out his name is William Charles Allen.

until you come to the 1901 census where his is listed as Charles William Allen (same wife kids etc). I ordered his marriage cert based on the name William Charles Allen and Mary E King based on the likely hood of the 1 census being wrong. I just send the details of with the year and names. It came back today, he is Charles William Allen. Now on my tree I also had the wife’s dads name wrong until this cert came though, so I did some checking at FMP and ‘A’ and FS. In a 10 year period (I know they were married in 1877 but went a few years either way just to be sure) I could only find a listing for 1 allen marrying a 1 king with the correct forenames. So my questions are

a) Do I change his name on my tree to Charles William Allen?

b) Can some kind soul find out if I have missed a listing 1870 – 1880 with these names on?

Linda

 

[davelambert271]

Hi
In my understanding, unless you have the birth cert of 'William you cannot be sure. It could be that up untill he married he used his birth name, William, but Mary liked Charles better, so he used that instead. As the name on his sons Mge cert is what was given, not what he was christened with, it could have been anything. I don't think you have to prove it. Quite often people started using their 2nd name as they got older, maybe because they or their partner liked it better.

I can think of a few names I would change !!!

dave

 

[sparklingtechie]

After writing the above I reaslised that his son is listed as being born in Cornwall...I may have the wrong Wills and Mary as there is a marriage in Cornwall the year before with a Wills and Mary but without Wills parents name how do I find out which cert to get? (lets face it William and Allen together are about the most common names going!) usually I have had at least one the parents names to go by.

 

[p.risboy]

I'd use the name that he has gone by all his life.

My Gramps used his second name of Eli all his life apparently. First name of Frederick was hardly ever used, except on legal documents etc.

My Gt. Granny was registered as Sarah Angelina Ruth Stevens, but used just Ruth on her marriage cert, and in all census. So Ruth it is.

As long as you have all the records, does it matter.

Steve.