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Please can someone give me some help or advice. I received B/D/M certs today for my father Alfred Frank Whisken, and his father. Charles, and I have also got my parents (both deceased) marriage cert. My query is that my father and his brothers had Charles Whisken as their father (on birth certs)but I have just taken a closer look at my parents marriage licence and it says that my fathers father was Joseph Alfred Whisken! It also states that my mother married Albert Frank not Alfred Frank! Albert was his brother. Everything else matches up . My birth cert states Alfred as my father
I also have info from a D Whiskin who is doing a 1 name study, and he states that my father was Alfred. I'm so confused. Any ideas as to what I can do please?
I hope this all makes sense
Thank you
Pam

Do you have the original marriage certificate of your parents or is it one that you have ordered? I'm wondering if there was another one ... Did your mother marry before to an Albert whose father was Joseph Alfred? Your father's cousin maybe ??

Just thinking - not sure if I'm helping at all ...

Hi Jill, thanks for the reply. I have the original cert, and he was my mums first husband. Albert was dads brother and he was married to a Lily Harrold, so it definitely wasn't him. I just don't understand.

Pam

Nudge for evening visitors

n

Just a thought, did Charles whisken have a brother Joseph alfred Whisken and Charles die and the children were brought up by Joseph believing him to be their father.? Not sure I am helping
Val

Hi Val,
Thanks for trying. Unfortunately no. My dad died in 1966. All his children were there. When my mum re-married it was to someone else (who's birth cert I also have) It doesn't make sense does it?

Pam

I have 2 birth certs and death cert where the names are incorrect.. You say you looked closely at the cert to see the names.Were they difficult to read? Is it possible they were transcribed incorrectly?.

My grandmother is Florence May. I couldnt find her birth.

I did however find a Florence Mary birth and this proved to be her with the correct parents.

My other grandmother was transcribed as Constant Ruby sex boy.

If I have received 3 certs with mistakes then certainly others must be wrong too.

Its the same with ages on certs. One of mine has a different age for marriage ,census and her death cert didnt match either. Fortunately she gives her fathers name and occupation James seaman merchant service, exactly the same words on marriage and census.

Makes it tricky when you are looking for them on the census

The only other thing would be to check the church records

Pamela could you possibly give us the dates of birth and marriage for all concerned... i'll look up all the details on thr BMD's for you.

Im in NZ and recently had to give details for a death cert. The NZ certs give children ,not names but male and female plus ages. The undertaker who filled in the details hadnt listened and put 2 daughters and 2 sons . Only had 1 daughter &3 sons so the age of 1"daughter" was really the age of the youngest son.

I thought anyone doing family history would be confused and go looking for the second daughter so the cert was redone at the undertakers expense since it was his fault.

Hi Wayne,
I've sent you all the info I have. Sorry for the delay had glitch on my laptop.
Thank you all for your other suggestions & ideas. Who knows I may even find out that my dad had a secret father that we never knew about!

Pam

Joseph's marriage details.....

Marriages Dec 1894 (>99%)
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Hawkins Edward Chelsea 1a 640
Moore Fanny Chelsea 1a 640
Stevens Louisa Chelsea 1a 640
Whisken Joseph Chelsea 1a 640

Thank you Wayne They don't ring any bells with me but I'll make a note of it and see if I can find out more about them.

Pam

Firstly i've looked at both marriage records, Albert John WHISKEN & Alfred Frank WHISKEN

Albert J married Lilian R Harrold, Essex SW, 4a 853, 2Q 1940

Albert F married Barbara F Ford, Essex SW, 4a 563, 3Q 1945.

It does look as thought the registrar has got your fathers name wrong on the cert....

Trying to work out the father Charles or Joseph now...

Thank you so much for all your efforts Wayne I really appreciate it. I'll start to look at Joseph and see what I can come up with.

Best wishes
Pam

Now i have found something...

Charles's name is Wisken...

Births Mar 1878 (>99%)
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Wisken Charles Saffron W. 4a 475

your father is a Whisken.... notice the extra 'H' and so is Joseph....

Births Mar 1876 (>99%)
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Whisken Joseph Dartford 2a 423


I know this is a silly question.... but do you have the right birth certs?

EDIT:

Just for the record there is NO Charles Whisken born between 1870 and 1880.

I know about the name change. All the sons are spelt with a 'H'. All the way through my line there are name changes even in the same families. Some I've yet to verify but the problem arises when somewhere like Free BMD have the spelt without an 'H' and somewhere includes it. The other problem is that some are spelt Wiskin (i not e) As you can imagine this can cause a lot of confusion at times. Thanks for pointing it out though.

Pam

now the other option is that Charles was a known name.... and in fact he was actaully Joseph? or maybe he has changed his name by deed?

I don't know how many years you've been doing this Wayne, but you certainly come up with ideas I'd never think of! How would I go about checking that out then please?

Pam

well for a deed poll change you'd probably have to contact kew, they do have a register, but it's not compulsary to put yourself on it... you might have to wait until the 1911 census and see what he called himself ! all we know for sure that somewhere between 1907 and 1912 (when we know the first child born) he changed from Joseph to Charles.... now he might have done that completely body and soul!! but then he might just have done it in name only.... they married in 1907 but didn't have children until 1912? seems a little strange tho?