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Something very odd!

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Jennifer

Jennifer Report 20 Nov 2006 12:08

My great Grandfather was born in 1866. His name was Robert Atkinson Johnson . I have his maariage certificate to prove this. He married Jame Cowling in January 1888 and between them they had three children, one of which was my Grandmother, Clarice born in 1902. I have her birth certificate so I know this is right.

Jennifer

Jennifer Report 20 Nov 2006 12:10

cont. I ordered a birth certificate for a Robert Atkinson Johnson that I saw on my Family Tree programme, date June 1888. His father was Robert Johnson and his mother was Elizabeth Jane Atkinson. Now I am confused! Clearly the Atkinson name came in because of Elizabeth Jane's maiden name so how did my GGrandfather come to be called Robert Atkinson Johnson when he was born 22 years earlier? In the first family we have farm labourers and farmers adn in the second family we have a bootshop manager. The first family was from Staffs and the second from Scarborough. Do you think this is just a strange co-incidence? If it is a co-incidence here is another! My mother was christened Brenda Jane Elizabeth! and another - the witness at Robert and Jane's mariage was Eliza Johnson

An Olde Crone

An Olde Crone Report 20 Nov 2006 12:20

It may just be coincidence - quite a ommon name, but I wouldn't mind betting that if you go back a few generations, the families will be related. OC

Jennifer

Jennifer Report 20 Nov 2006 13:48

Do you mean that the Akinsons may have married into the Johnson family in the previous generation too? Atkinson is not very common as a second name and I can see why it came into the family in 1888 when Eliza Atkinson married Robert Johnson but I have no idea how Robert Johnson born in 1866 got the name too - 22 years earlier than the marriage that introduced the name!

An Olde Crone

An Olde Crone Report 20 Nov 2006 13:58

Yes, I would imagine there had been a marriage between the two families in a previous generation. This happens all the time in mine. Whilst Atkinson may not be a common second forename in the general public, these 'surname second names' usually have a family significance and can be very helpful in tracing previous generations. One particular branch of my family carries a family name down 15 generations, either as a first or second given forename - very handy, because it spread across all branches of the family. OC