Genealogy Chat

Many of you have assisted me in trying to locate my gr-grandparents (with no success) on 1901 census and my grandfather's birth (again no success). Here comes the weird part:

Found them on 1901 census under different last name & then found my grandfather's birth under same last name. My family (up to 1901 census time): Charles William Thompson b1869 - Lincs Mary Jane Thompson (formerly Richardson) b1869 - Lincs Mabel Annie Thompson b1894 - Lincs Albert Thompson b1896 Hilda Adelaide b1897 Ethel b1900 Hardy family 1901 census Harry Hardy b1873 - Lancs Mary Hardy b1873 - Notts Mabel Hardy b1894 - Notts Albert Hardy b1896 - London Hilda Hardy b1897 - London Ethel Hardy b1900 - Hampshire I know parents dob/pob off as is Mabel's pob but yob of all kids match info from my Grandfather.

Now comes the really weird part - found a birth for Harold Thompson Hardy q3 1905 ordered cert - parents Charles William Hardy & Mary Jane Hardy (formerly Richardson) dob June 29, 1905 - we know this to be my grandfather's dob and both his parents names. Ordering certs for 2 of the girls (under Hardy) to see if parents match again. My grandfather grew up using the name Thompson, was married as Thompson and both his parents are buried as Thompson (I have obits & picture of grave). My question to you is why would they suddenly change their names and then go back? Please help with my mystery I broke down into 3 parts as when went to check it was all bunched up and hard to read (even for me and I wrote it!...lol) Sue (extremely confused) in Canada

Sue, Now that I've got my brain back in the right way around again, a couple of thoughts ... 1) The census enumerator in 1901 mixed them up and put HARDY when it should have been THOMPSON. Possible, but not as likely as for earlier censuses when enumerators retranscribed their notes when they got home! Incidentally, have you seen the original census page? It could otherwise be a modern-day transcriber who mistyped the surname - again with your evidence of a 'Hardy' middle name, I think this is unlikely. 2) Your Charles William was the illegitimate son of a Miss THOMPSON who married a Mr HARDY later on. What do you think? Regs Annie

Have seen original 1901 c - definately Hardy, plus using Harry instead of Charles. Have copy of Charles William Thompson's birth cert showing both his parents. So don't think that reason - have been wondering if got himself into trouble with law, so they changed name until statute of limitations ran out? Sue

Sue I have a very similar scenario in my tree. Surname was MIST, changed to MOSS in 1881/1891 censuses, then back to MIST in 1901. I actually have an original (short) birth cert from 1876 which has been slightly 'mutilated', so I bought the long version from GRO. The child had been registered as MOSS & the small cert altered so it could be read as MIST (if you see what I mean). My theory, in my case, is that the husband was already married & the family were 'lying low', as the parents didn't actually marry until 1909, presumably after wife 1 had died. (husband was shown as a widower on the cert). Hope you understand what I mean! We may never know the exact truth. Angela

My guss is that Charles WIlliam was the son of Mr Thompson and MIss Hardy and that he was born before his parents' marriage, or was the illegitimate son of Miss Hardy but took his step father's name of Thompson. Either way he would have been registered as Hardy but used the surname Thompson in everyday life. Probably he thought he ought to use his 'official' name of Hardy when he registered his children, and on the 1901 census but continued to use just Thompson at other times. In later years his children either didn't know any of this or made a decision to stick with Thompson.