Genealogy Chat

Have had similar fun and games with my grandfather's brother Josiah - he often turns up as Joseph. I assume he was known as Joe.

Jill

I've had the same problem with my OH's grandfather, Birth Certificate says Edmund Weeks.

Sometimes he's down as Edward and Edwin too on various certificates.

I've come to the conclusion it's definately down to the 'joined up' writting on the original records.

Don't 'arf make tracing them difficult !

At least the birth certificates of his children do have the same mother's Christian & maiden name.

.

...and be careful with census transcripts. 19th century handwriting can be difficult to decipher, even when there are no subsequent markings on the original return. I found a relative given as age 2 on an1861 census transcript but 19 on the 1871 census - and the birth county was Lincolnshire in one and Lancashire in the other. Comparison of the original returns showed the 1861 transcript was wrong.

And particularly watch death certificates. I spent weeks searching on the strength of a parent name on a death certificate. Obtained the birth certificate to discover the name was completely wrong, and that was just the start of the inaccuracies.

An ancestor was christened Edmund, named Teddy (as a child) in the census, Edwin on his marriage certificate, Edward on his daughters birth registration and back to Edwin on his death certificate although he was then recorded as being 7 years older than he should have been.
Don't take anything for granted but follow your leads carefully.