Genealogy Chat

I've been trying to trace a rellie of mine name Katherine Stephenson or Catherine Stephenson for 5 years. Couldn't find a death, marriage or on 1891 census. had her on 1881 census had placed numerous message for lookups. Then went on Ancestry through the Gale site last week before it stopped. Did a search but found nothing. I deceided to type in just the KAT* to see what It found and lo and behold she was there it was her marriage in december 1881 she had called her self KATE on her marriage certificate. She had probably been called that all her life. When I looked on the census for 1891 under her married name she had reverted back to Catherine. They don't make things simple do they!! I would just like to thank everyone who did lookups for me thanks a lot it was really appriciated. I feel over the moon that I have found her. Regards Barbara.

Hi Barbara, I know what you mean, I have been trying to trace the birth of my grandad George Frederick Howard. We all knew that was his name (although he died before we were born) because our Dad was named after him but I couldn't find anything. Then I found a birth entry for Frederick George Howard, I ordered the certificate and yes! it was him. Doreen

I had the same, Grandfather birth certificate gave his parents as Charles Frederick Ball and his mother Annie formerly George. A very kind peron on here found their marriage under the names of Charles Frederick Balls and Joanna George. My mothers name is Joan so that is who she was named after.

I spent years trying to trace my g grandfather. On my gran's birth certificate, and his marriage certificate, his name is Sidney Johnson. Could neither find a birth for him nor find him in any census. Decided to look for his wife's death, I knew she died within a year or two of any grans birth - but she used Annie or Mary as her first name, but I knew her father was George! Luckily Annie was buried in the same grave as her parents, and alongside them was my g grandfather GIFFORD!!! His brother Ivan used the name Frederick. Another g gran named Agnes used the name Amelia. My g aunt Nell was really Alice, gg aunt Bella was really Beatrice, and my uncle Charles was called Bill as a baby by my mum, and the name has remained!!! As for g uncle Jock - I give up!! Don't you just love them!!! maggie

And there was I thinking my great uncle Cecil (Edwin Cecil Russell CHRISTMAS) was a tricky one. Only twigged I'd got the right one when I also realised that calling him by the same name as his father, Edwin, might not be convenient. And the same on the other side of that bit of family - great uncle Robert was actually William Robert, but his father was William so... My grandmother (whom, sadly, I never met but seems to have been a very special person) was Alice, but also called herself Roma - and even Harris, apparently. When I found her first name as Harris in the 1901 census, I assumed it was another of their transcription eccentricities - or a deaf enumerator - but when I mentioned it to my cousin, she told me that this was a name she'd sometimes used! As you say - it all adds to the fun of the chase! Christine

My father had 3 brothers. Luckily I knew them all and so I was au fait with their names: Jabez John Thomas - Uncle Jim Jeuel George - Uncle George Harry Samuel - Uncle Sam (who named his son Harry Egon and then called him Egon. Egon has now decided to be called Harry!) The above is understandable - Jim thought Jabez a bit old-fashioned, George was called George because his dad was Jeuel as well. But I have a great-great-aunt Annie. Christened Annie, mentioned in Wills, newspaper cuttings etc as Annie. She is Annie on all the censuses where I can find her. When she married she called herself Elizabeth Annie. No idea why! nell

Absolutely - my great-uncle Dick's real names were Arthur George. Why was he called Dick? No idea! Joy

1871 census has Amelia Nottridge living with her widowed daughter, also a Nottridge. The old lady's name was actually Millicent Puttock. There were heaps of Millies in the family, baptised with complete impartiality as Amelia, Millie or Millicent. The Nottridge was just the enumerator's laziness. Brenda

My dad was Alfred George but EVERYONE knew him as David. People thought they had gone to the wrong funeral! We have found also: Annie Elizabeth known as Daisy Jane known as Beat Lillian known as Mabel Annie known as Nan Sarah Ann known as Annie Ernest known as Son Mary Ann known as Polly Anthony known as Charlie Well, it wouldn't be so much "fun" if it was straightforward, would it ..... grrrrrrrrr!!! Maz. XX

Hi I have had the same problem with a Catherine. Sometimes she has been written as Kate and Katherine and it's very confusing when people sometimes use their middle names instead of their given name.......Happy searching everyone - x

A great uncle, Eli Hector CHRISTMAS, starts off favouring his first name, but by the 1901 census he's using the second one. Fashion, I guess. Lucky I'd got hold of both names so could recognise him as he moved around. Christine

i read somewhere that germans traditionally use the last middle name as their First name. hence my Gr Gr grandfather was called John Peter Alexander Strouvelle and always called Alexander. But his son Wilfred Alexander seemed to vary his name from census to census. Kim

My husband has a cousin - known as BOY - no-one at all knows his real name - even in a family diary he has his birth recorded as Boy, his wedding was reported in the papers as Boy - if he is still alive he is in his 70's - still known as BOY

That's funny She, my sister's great aunt and uncle were know through their lives (and they lived to a good age) as Girlie and Boy!! I think my sister knows their real names now, but don't think many other people ever did! Maz. XX

My Dad had a friend, I think he used to work in the docks with was called Boy Vick x

My Gt grandmother was Avarina Joseph, but found the mariage as Vrine Morgan, she had had another marriage before my gt granddad! What hope do us lot have in tracking our rellies!!! :-))) Kim