Genealogy Chat

Can anyone tell me if records were kept in the '30s or '40s of names changed by deed poll? Still in search of my missing grandmother Sylvia Millichamp (nee May) born in September 1910 but I can't find any record of her birth or her marriage to Arthur Millichamp who passed away in 1954 aged 165. She is listed as May on his Death Certificate and he is listed on my father's Marriage Certificate. Does anyone have any ideas? Sue

Sue, do you know she changed her name? Could it be that she married twice and Mr May was her first husband? JIm

have you got your fathers birth cert as that would have her maiden name and married names if she was married before Arthur Jeanette

Hi The only name listed on my dad's birth cert is May so I am assuming that was her maiden name. I simply can't find a record of their marriage at all and with Millichamp being quite an unusual name I'm not sure what else she could have done. On one of the other threads there is an Arthur Millichamp marrying a Rose Wright. The dates match up with my grandfather's birthdate so I'm wondering he was married and was divorced or separated and then ended up living with my gran who changed her name to make out she was married. Sue

Sue, If you haven't got Sylvia's birth cert how do you know she was born in September 1910? (She died after dates of birth were given on death cert?) Could Rose and Sylvia be the same person? It does sound unlikely but I knew someone whose husband really didn't like her Christian name and 'endowed' her with another! Have you looked for a marriage of Sylvia/Rose May to ?? Wright. It would explain the marriage (perhaps there was already a Rose in the family and hence the use of Sylvia which could have been her second name) - but May on the birth certificate was 100% correct too. You could order the marriage certificate for Rose Wright using her father's name as May as a checking point to prove this theory. Not sure if any of this is really very useful - except it will bump it up for the night owls!! Victoria

Sue What country/county do you have? Gerri.

My grandmother always gave 9 September 1910 as her birth date for pension/hospital/dr/official record purposes etc. I have no idea where she was born other than it was England (I know not a lot of help!).Wwhat little she did say was that she was brought up in London and that her mother died at an early age (again I don't know if any of this is true). She worked as a cook in some of the London hotels. She appears to have lived in the London area as we have pictures of a flat in Staines, Uxbridge which would fit in with where my grandfathers death is registered. She never ever mentioned being married previously or having ever changed her name. She never mentioned her marriage and we only found out my grandfather's name from my father's marriage certificate. The family is estranged so I have no-one I can ask.