Genealogy Chat

My partner's great grandfathers maternal cousin is listed on the 1861 and 1871 census as George Cooper born 1861 in little staughton bedfordshire. On the 1871 his siblings+ mother have the surname briars/briers his mother married thomas briars/briers in the last quarter of 1861. On the 1881 census george is listed as briars/briers and still living with siblings mother and step father. Could the surname change mean he was formally adopted by his stepfather? The 1891 and 1901 census he has left home and is using the briars/briers surname Thanks Darrell

is it possible that he is her son from another marriage? have you got his birth cert? When was he born in realtion to the parents marriage and what was his mothers maiden name? have you got their marriage cert (before or after his birth)

was he the eldest child ? maybe he was born before the marriage , do you know his mothers maiden name?

looks like mother wasn't married when she had him i guess as all his sibs and parents used hat name, he'd have known no different, as for officially adopted - there was no such thing View Record Charles Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1849 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Son Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Charlotte Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1852 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Daughter Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Daniel Cooper Elizabeth abt 1815 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Head Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Daniel Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1854 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Son Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Eliza Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1842 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Daughter Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Elizabeth Cooper Daniel abt 1818 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Wife Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Geo Cooper abt 1861 Little Staughton, Bedfordshire, England Grandson Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Jabez Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1856 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Son Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record James Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1860 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Son Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record John Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1839 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Son Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Sarah Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1844 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Daughter Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Thos Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1858 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Son Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record Titus Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1845 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Son Little Staughton Bedfordshire View Record William Cooper Daniel, Elizabeth abt 1850 Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England Son Little Staughton Bedfordshire

Forgot to mention the mothers details Mother was Sarah Cooper 1861 George is with cooper grandparents 1871 with mother step father and half siblings. Both census he has cooper surname and this is his surname in GRO indexes on free BMD 1881 has the stepfather's surname and is still living with his family

so... he was born before they got married so unless you ae lucky and find the father on the birth cert (v rare) or on baptism (not quite as rare) you won't know who the father was. as for adoption, i imagine, he just 'took' that surname, but it wasn't official,.

The problem is jess why on the 1871 when he is 10 he is listed as cooper and the 1881 1891 1901 and his descendants through to present day have the briars/briers surname. Why not listed as Briars/Briers on the 1881 Maybe its as you say he never knew and upon reaching adulthood was never told

When did adoption come in?

About 1927, I think. It was common for illegitimate children and children of previous marriages to take the surname of their mother's new husband.