Genealogy Chat

Hi all I have just received my grandfathers marr cert from GRO and he has 3 surnames listed. This is what it says, Maurice Cowler otherwise Lemaire otherwise Petry He has signed it as Maurice Petry, was known as Maurice Petry and died as Maurice Petry. What do the other two mean? Has anyone else come accross this? His fathers details are Charles Lemaire. Let me know your thoughts, kind regards Karen

Could he have been born illegitimately to a mother with the surname Cowler, father's name Lemaire and later adopted a step father's name - Petry?

I think Judith could be right. I have come accross a marriage certificate showing william mckenzie known as smith. This was because his parents never married (although they lived together and had three children) and as his father died a few months before he was born his mother had to register him with her surname although he was known all his life by his father's surname.

Thanks Judith & Margaret, I think I need to order his birth cert. What do you think I should search for Cowler or Lemaire? He was 19 on his wedding day which was 3/8/1940. Thanks Karen

I'd look for Cowler first, since that seems to have been his mother's name at the time of his birth. Carole

I am baffled by one of my ancestor's father, while on his birth certificate his mother was the informant of his birth, and leaving the father as blank. Then I got his marriage certificate showing the father with the name on but different surname. I wonder if the "father" on his marriage certificate was his real father or step-father? I tried to find the marriage and death of his mother and "father", but no luck so far! Any ideas? Caz