Genealogy Chat

Does anybody have any suggestions about how I unpick a change of name please? I have an Edmund in 1891 who changes to a hunt by 1901? where would you start to look. Any suggestions gratefully received. With thanks

can your post both census in full that you think are him

Info as follows 1901 wales Annie Hunt abt 1865 Cowbridge, Glamorgan, Wales Wife Abertillery Monmouthshire Elsie M Hunt abt 1891 Abercorn, Monmouthshire, Wales Daughter Abertillery Monmouthshire Eunice Hunt abt 1876 Abercorn, Monmouthshire, Wales Sister Abertillery Monmouthshire Fatton Hunt abt 1894 Abercorn, Monmouthshire, Wales Son Abertillery Monmouthshire Glynne Hunt abt 1900 Abertillery, Monmouthshire, Wales Son Abertillery Monmouthshire Leonard Hunt abt 1896 Kewport, Monmouthshire, Wales Son Abertillery Monmouthshire William Hunt abt 1867 Machen, Monmouthshire, Wales Head Abertillery Monmouthshire 1891 wales Alice M Edmunds abt 1891 Abercorn, Monmouthshire, Wales Daughter Mynyddyslwyn Monmouthshire Ann Edmunds abt 1865 Cowbridge, Glamorgan, Wales Wife Mynyddyslwyn Monmouthshire William Edmunds abt 1867 Machen, Monmouthshire, Wales Head Mynyddyslwyn Monmouthshire

what makes you think they are the same family in both census? which name is it you are trying to trace back Edmunds or Hunt?

I know there's an Edmunds hunt name change and Ann and William look like they have the same dob and place of birth but I want to know how you do it and whether there are any records.

that is the problem- anyone can call thmselves whatever they like , for what ever reaon they like, and it isnt recoded anywhere. sorry, just wanted to try and help

You don't have to do anything to change your name legally in England, you just start using your new name and stop using the old one!

Thats a shame as we'll never know why. Thanks for you input anyway.

Hallo I had the same thing - a James Carter who was James McCarthy on the previous census, and even more confusing, Dennis McCarthy on his marriage cert! As Jess says, people can just change their names, without any legal procedures. So you need to ask why? Did they come into a legacy from a person with the surname they changed to? Were they evading the rentman? Were they fugitives from justice? who knows? nell

The thing I struggle with is the reference to the sister Eunice Hunt as there are no reference to this eunice in the census for edmunds as a sister before 1901 - very odd. I'm sure there's an interesting tale there somewhere...

And Alice changes to Elsie. Is all this info from transcriptions or actual images??? Christine

william hunt exists in 1881 bet you £1 his mother is edmunds in 1871, as he probably rightly is Mary Ann Evans abt 1862 Newport, Monmouth, Wales Servant 5 Foresters Ter, Mynyddyslwyn, Monmouthshire, Wales Emily Hunt abt 1875 Abercarne, Monmouth, Wales Daughter 5 Foresters Ter, Mynyddyslwyn, Monmouthshire, Wales Josiah Hunt abt 1825 Gillingham, Dorset, England Head 5 Foresters Ter, Mynyddyslwyn, Monmouthshire, Wales Margaret Hunt abt 1838 Machen, Monmouth, Wales Wife 5 Foresters Ter, Mynyddyslwyn, Monmouthshire, Wales William Hunt abt 1867 Machen, Monmouth, Wales Step Son 5 Foresters Ter, Mynyddyslwyn, Monmouthshire, Wales John H. Jones abt 1860 Tredegar, Monmouth, Wales Boarder 5 Foresters Ter, Mynyddyslwyn, Monmouthshire, Wales Richard Price abt 1803 Montgomeryshire, Wales Lodger 5 Foresters Ter, Mynyddyslwyn, Monmouthshire, Wales

A step-son wouldn't usually have the same surname as the head, so was Mrs Hunt previously an Edmonds?? Merry

Sometimes these things are inexplicable: My g. g. g. grandfather's daughter Eliza (officially 'Ann Eliza') becomes 'Jane E.' in one census. I can only assume that the enumerator misread the householder's form or his own notes when writing up the return, but it seems an odd error.

Marriage: Marriages Dec 1868 DAVIES Morgan Pontypool 11a 186 >>>>EDMUNDS Margaret Pontypool 11a 186 >>>>HUNT Josiah Pontypool 11a 186 WILLIAMS Elizabeth Pontypool 11a 186 Merry

so there is your answer! his mother married josiah and he used his name , not his own, then changed back. i wonder if his birth cert shows he was iiligitimate?

Just to make it all a bit more interesting (LOL!!) Josiah Hunt had been married before: Marriages Dec 1849 Davies James Abergavenny 26 4 Davies Thomas Abergavenny 26 4 Evans Thomas Abergavenny 26 4 >>>>Hunt Josiah Abergavenny 26 4 Jones Anne Abergavenny 26 4 Jones Eleanor Abergavenny 26 4 >>>>Orchard Mary Anne Abergavenny 26 4 1851: Josiah Hunt abt 1825 Gillingham, Dorset, England Head Llanelly Breconshire Margare Hunt abt 1828 Frome, Somerset, England Wife Llanelly Breconshire Susanna Hunt abt 1851 Llanelly, Breconshire, Wales Llanelly Breconshire James Orchard abt 1821 Wrutbury, Wiltshire, England Brother Llanelly Breconshire Merry

I've just remembered another example of surnames jumping back and forth. My g. g. grandfather had a sister who married a chap who died soon afterwards. On the next census she's living back home, with her maiden surname; oddly, her son has her married name. But her death registration is under her married name. Back and forth, back and forth!

Wow, what can I say. Not what I was expecting at all. Thanks very much to everybody who has helped me with this. I think I'm a bit taken aback and need to have a think about this. There'll be quite a few relatives really interested in this. I think I'd managed to go down a wrong line with thsi thinking william was the son of evan edmunds b 1829. Doens't look like he is at all. Fascinating stuff. Thanks again for your help I dont think I could have unpicked it without your generous help. Denise