Genealogy Chat

We have found out that my husbands grandfather changed his name from Reginald Gray to Robert McCormick in the 1920's......reasons unknown!!!!! My problem is that he was supposed to have been born in Putney or around that area in 1888......but can I find him? Can I heck!!! So it seems like he might have changed his name to Reginald Gray..........what am I going to do??? Anyone got any advice as this is really doing my head in.......I feel like just ignoring that side of the family........but I want to know why he changed his name........too nosey by far I think!!! Many thanks Susan (McCormick, Gray or any other name going!!!!)

Susan, How about this one? Births Sep 1887 GRAY Reginald Charles Kingston 2a 299 Crista

Hi Crista His birthday was supposed to have been May 4th....would they leave it that long to register it? Thank you for taking the time to look........I will check it out. Regards Susan

Hi Susan, If it were May 4th then he should have made the June qtr. I have seen some late registrations though. Do you have a marriage cert for him? Crista

Just noticed there's very little coverage for 1888 on FreeBMD. Have you tried 1837online? Crista

This is where it gets complicated Crista! He married a woman in Putney, they had a lot of children then in 1920 he met Peter's (my husband) grandmother. He left his wife for her, had Peter's dad another Reginald in 1921, they went on to have two daughters while living in Lambeth. At this time they were still called Gray. Then in the mid to late 20's they moved to Essex and changed their names to McCormick and had a futher 4 children. His wife so the story goes wouldn't give him a divorce as she was a strict catholic so him and Ethel never got married. It is really doing my head in.......I've got back to the 1700's with Ethels family but him......he must have been a shady character! The only problem is that we found all this out after Peter's dad died and there is no one left in the family to ask. I really don't think I will have any luck with this. Susan

Susan, Do you have his marriage cert to his first wife and have you found him in 1891 and 1901? Crista

He never married Ethel.......and I can't find the man any where!!! It's as if he didn't exist........but I know he did because I visited his grave last week.....well Robert McCormicks anyway! I've got Peter's dad's birth cert. He was called Reginald Albert Gray, father Reginald Gray.......I have sent off to Lambeth archives to find out if they knew who was living at the address in 1921 when Peter's father was born.

Sorry Crista........didn't read that properly.......I don't know his first wife's name......seems like the family was one big lie!

Susan It seems like he changed his name when moving away with second 'wife'. Maybe this was to escape from first wife - perhaps she wanted him to pay maintenance? Or maybe he and second 'wife' wanted to act as a married couple and thought a change of name for both of them would help. Perhaps she was escaping from her family who didn't approve of her living with a married man? nell

Hi Nell Bit more to the story.......she was married to a man called George Ridoutt........she had 2 sons by him......George and John. George senior and John both died in 1920, not sure of the reason yet as waiting for the certs, George junior was taken by the Ridoutt family. When they moved to Essex they went back to the area she came from so her family knew that she was a widow and now she had 'taken up' with another man. What gets me is that her son John was only 1 when he died yet she had a child (Peter's father) the following year with another man. I wish I knew all this before, you couldn't make it up could you?!?! Susan