Genealogy Chat

how can you find name changes by deed pole . think this what happened to my husbands grandfather .his granmother had relevent papers , which she had her daughter destroy .

Have you tried googling 'deed poll'?

if she had the papers destroyed it is just as likely he changed his name, er, 'informally' :-D

My mother's uncle's wife destroyed my mother's grandfather's papers when she found them after he died ... they would indeed have shown that he had changed his name and had the story come out she would have had some explaining to do ... and some face to lose I think !

of course it may be that he changed it formally and it was just the reason why he did that that she wanted to keep secret.

anyway you can search here

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk

using the advanced search feature, search for the name and the exact term 'deed poll' or vice versa

here is an example of what you see there

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/40394/supplements/597

actually I wanted to copy an example out for you and those are too recent, the people may be living, but when I tried to open some older ones or do a new search the site just rejected me, must be a temporary glitch, so try that one and you will see the idea.

Also if you would like help sorting it out, post the information you have here, for instance the grandparents' marriage, but only if you are comfortable putting personal info about the family in the forum.

here we are, the London Gazette let me back in

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/32613/supplements/1455

NOTICE is hereby given, that by deed poll dated
the sixth day of February, 1922, and enrolled
in the Supreme Court of Judicature on the eighth day
of February, 1922, John Isaac Kershaw abandoned the
name of ISAAC KERZBAUM and adopted the name
of John Isaac Kershaw.
013 J. I. KERSHAW, formerly I. Kerzbaum.

I DAISY FLEMING, heretofore called and known
. by the name of Daisy Westmacott, of 26,
Moylan-road, Hammersmith, in the county of
London, Spinster, a natural born British subject,
hereby give public notice, that on the 2nd day
of February, 1922, I formally and absolutely
renounced, relinquished and abandoned the use
of my said surname of Westmacott, and then
assumed and adopted and determined thenceforth on
all occasions whatever to use and subscribe the name
of Daisy Fleming instead of the said name of Daisy
Westmacott; and I give further notice, that by a
deed poll, dated the 2nd day of February, 1922, duly
executed and attested, and enrolled in the Central
Office of the Supreme Court, on the 7th day of February,
1922, I formally and absolutely renounced and
abandoned the said surname of Westmacott, and
declared that I had assumed and adopted and
intended thenceforth upon all occasions whatsoever to
use and subscribe the name of Fleming instead of
Westmacott, and so as to be at all times thereafter
called, known and described by the name of Daisy
Fleming exclusively.—Dated -the 8th day of February,
1922.
DAISY FLEMING, formerly Daisy Westma-
018 cott.

many thanks to Reggie and JoonieCloonie for your respective replies to my querie , i shall certainly look into these .i will let you know if i get any further on in my search . thanks again regards Rita

Rita


don't forget that most people probably did not bother with the expense of changing their surname by deed poll.

It was not, and is not, necessary.

Just an announcement to all concerned that your name will now be xxxxxx xxxxxxx is sufficient .................... as long as you are not doing it with criminal intent.


Some people might pay for a notice to be put into their local paper ............... I can remember seeing some in my local evening paper in the 1950s.

Even if done legally, it may not have appeared in any newspapers etc.

My cousin did hers by deed poll and despite looking for a while now have not found any records in any newspapers.

We know it was done officially, but unless we know which solicitors she used, we will never know why!

She changed her name from Maureen to Elizabeth and married a Mr. Taylor. And I can honestly say she was just as glamourous as her namesake. :-)

Check out:
http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/change-of-name.htm