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What's her legal surname?

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Sue

Sue Report 14 Nov 2006 14:53

I have an ancestor who lists her rmaiden name on her sons Birth Cert and her Marriage cert as Eliza Bown On previous census returns the family name is given as BOWNA - 1861 BOWNS - 1871 BOWEN - 1881 It looks as though her birth certificate reads BOUND (thats from BMD, I'm waiting for confirmation) The name BOWN seems to stem from Gloucestershire where her father came from and I'm assuming that he was illiterate (most of my lot were!) and that possibly London enumerators were mishearing his west country accent - So my question is whats her legal surname? It took me ages to trace this lot and I would really like to know the answer Thanks Sue

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 14 Nov 2006 15:08

Not sure of legal spelling.....but BOUN ..is another variation, so there was just as much problem with those who stayed in the area. I have a Kate Eliza BOUN b.c 1878 who married into my tree in Herefordshire. Gwyn

Jess Bow Bag

Jess Bow Bag Report 14 Nov 2006 15:08

If her father could neitherread nor write, who ever did the writing -Whatever the document - will have put what they thought he said,

Sue

Sue Report 14 Nov 2006 15:15

Thanks Jess and Gwyneth - I know that the enumerators wrote what they thought they'd heard - my problem is what name is the right one for my tree! Sue

Angela

Angela Report 14 Nov 2006 16:15

I don't think that you should get too worried about what is the 'right' spelling. Personally, I would use the spelling on her birth certificate, but if whoever was the informant was illiterate, then this might differ from other documents. I have a wide variation in some of the surnames in my tree (such as Alleway/Allaway/Alloway/Holloway/Hallaway/Allawae, etc). As long as you are sure you have the right person, I think that you will have to accept that the name was spelled differently depending on who was doing the reading and writing!!

InspectorGreenPen

InspectorGreenPen Report 14 Nov 2006 17:56

There is no correct answer nor is there such thing as a 'legal' name. It wasn't until the end of the 1800's that many name spellings started to be standardised as people became more literate.

An Olde Crone

An Olde Crone Report 14 Nov 2006 20:00

My personal preference for this is to enter the name exactly as I find it,onto my tree. I do this to attract the widest possible range of contacts, who may only know of one spelling variation. OC

fraserbooks

fraserbooks Report 14 Nov 2006 21:08

If you have a marriage to Sarah Clifford from Stow in the Wold. I could help with your family. Anne