"Using" an alias is a modern and very "written-down" concept. Names were recorded in official documents as the compiler chose to spell them, so the joiner recorded away from home may well be COOKE while his wife is COOK on different pages of the same census. An individual may thus have multiple aliases without ever being aware of it. But if - for whatever reason - COOKE(E) gave his name as ROBINSON (unless for a fraudulent purpose), there never has been anything in English law to stop him. Taking a new name is more difficult now than 100 years ago (bring us photo-id and two proofs of address etc), but there is no register. Names belong to their bearers, not to the state! "True identity" of a man known to everyone by a particular name is the name by which he was generally recognised. Say the name and those who knew could point to him and say 'THAT man' - even if his birth or some other life event was recorded with one of his many aliases. Terry Barcock, Director, 153 Ltd "Websites that work" www.153.co.uk Design, hosting and support for E-business and Database Applications 11 Gladstone Avenue, JOHNSTONE PA5 0RD (UK) Tel +44 (0)1505 615360 -----Original Message----- From: Ray Valentine [mailto:wellsclanman@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: 22 December 2005 04:35 To: BEDFORD-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [BDF] Using an alias An ancestor b 1848 in Bedford avoided the census takers in 1881, 1891 and 1901 and also seems to have avoided having his death registered (unless he is still with us). He had a family in this period but his wife described herself to the census takers as head of household and joiner's wife. It would appear that he could have been using an alias and that his death was registered under the alias. Would he have been required to register the use of an alias? Was proof of true identity required when registering a death between, say 1900 - 1950? Ray Melbourne Aust. ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Exclusive Xmas Game, help Santa with his celebrity party - http://santas-christmas-party.yahoo.net/ ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== The Bedfordshire Family History Page is at http://www.bfhs.org.uk

Thanks to Terry and Eve for their replies. My alias using ancestor had a total of eight children with his wife - three of these were born after he missed being included in the 1881 Bedford census in which his wife described herself as "head of household" and joiner's wife. Assuming that he was living somewhere else with someone else would there have been any requirement at that time for him to make payments to support his legal wife and children? Would such support have been determined by a court? If so, would a record of this still exist? Ray --- "Terry Barcock, 153 Ltd" <terry.barcock@153.co.uk> wrote: > "Using" an alias is a modern and very "written-down" > concept. > Names were recorded in official documents as the > compiler chose to spell > them, > so the joiner recorded away from home may well be > COOKE while his wife is > COOK > on different pages of the same census. An individual > may thus have > multiple aliases without ever being aware of it. > > But if - for whatever reason - COOKE(E) gave his > name as ROBINSON > (unless for a fraudulent purpose), there never has > been anything in English > law > to stop him. Taking a new name is more difficult now > than 100 years ago > (bring us photo-id and two proofs of address etc), > but there is no register. > Names belong to their bearers, not to the state! > > "True identity" of a man known to everyone by a > particular name is > the name by which he was generally recognised. Say > the name and those > who knew could point to him and say 'THAT man' - > even if his birth or > some other life event was recorded with one of his > many aliases. > > Terry Barcock, > Director, 153 Ltd "Websites that work" > www.153.co.uk > Design, hosting and support for E-business and > Database Applications > 11 Gladstone Avenue, JOHNSTONE PA5 0RD (UK) Tel > +44 (0)1505 615360 > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ray Valentine > [mailto:wellsclanman@yahoo.co.uk] > Sent: 22 December 2005 04:35 > To: BEDFORD-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [BDF] Using an alias > > > An ancestor b 1848 in Bedford avoided the census > takers in 1881, 1891 and 1901 and also seems to have > avoided having his death registered (unless he is > still with us). > > He had a family in this period but his wife > described > herself to the census takers as head of household > and > joiner's wife. > > It would appear that he could have been using an > alias > and that his death was registered under the alias. > > Would he have been required to register the use of > an > alias? > > Was proof of true identity required when registering > a > death between, say 1900 - 1950? > > Ray > Melbourne > Aust. > > > > > > > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ > Yahoo! Exclusive Xmas Game, help Santa with his > celebrity party - > http://santas-christmas-party.yahoo.net/ > > > ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== > The Bedfordshire Family History Page is at > http://www.bfhs.org.uk > > > > ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== > When REPLYING to a message sent to the list decide > if this is information that all the list members > would like to know about or whether it would only be > of interest to the individual you are replying to. > > ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

Hate to state the obvious but are you sure this mystery man (whose surname you haven't given) wasn't simply mistranscribed????????? EVERY lister here will be able to tell horror stories of mistranscriptions some of which bear no resemblance to the original! If you gave a name, village and approximate d.o.b I am sure people would be only to glad to check for you. Likelihood is that any suppport would have come from the Church. You would have to search the Overseer's accounts /parish records. Do you know when & where he died even though you haven't found the registration? Regards Marlene ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Valentine" <wellsclanman@yahoo.co.uk> To: <BEDFORD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, December 23, 2005 3:16 PM Subject: RE: [BDF] Using an alias > Thanks to Terry and Eve for their replies. > > My alias using ancestor had a total of eight children > with his wife - three of these were born after he > missed being included in the 1881 Bedford census in > which his wife described herself as "head of > household" and joiner's wife. > > Assuming that he was living somewhere else with > someone else would there have been any requirement at > that time for him to make payments to support his > legal wife and children? > > Would such support have been determined by a court? If > so, would a record of this still exist? > > Ray > > --- "Terry Barcock, 153 Ltd" <terry.barcock@153.co.uk> > wrote: > >> "Using" an alias is a modern and very "written-down" >> concept. >> Names were recorded in official documents as the >> compiler chose to spell >> them, >> so the joiner recorded away from home may well be >> COOKE while his wife is >> COOK >> on different pages of the same census. An individual >> may thus have >> multiple aliases without ever being aware of it. >> >> But if - for whatever reason - COOKE(E) gave his >> name as ROBINSON >> (unless for a fraudulent purpose), there never has >> been anything in English >> law >> to stop him. Taking a new name is more difficult now >> than 100 years ago >> (bring us photo-id and two proofs of address etc), >> but there is no register. >> Names belong to their bearers, not to the state! >> >> "True identity" of a man known to everyone by a >> particular name is >> the name by which he was generally recognised. Say >> the name and those >> who knew could point to him and say 'THAT man' - >> even if his birth or >> some other life event was recorded with one of his >> many aliases. >> >> Terry Barcock, >> Director, 153 Ltd "Websites that work" >> www.153.co.uk >> Design, hosting and support for E-business and >> Database Applications >> 11 Gladstone Avenue, JOHNSTONE PA5 0RD (UK) Tel >> +44 (0)1505 615360 >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Ray Valentine >> [mailto:wellsclanman@yahoo.co.uk] >> Sent: 22 December 2005 04:35 >> To: BEDFORD-L@rootsweb.com >> Subject: [BDF] Using an alias >> >> >> An ancestor b 1848 in Bedford avoided the census >> takers in 1881, 1891 and 1901 and also seems to have >> avoided having his death registered (unless he is >> still with us). >> >> He had a family in this period but his wife >> described >> herself to the census takers as head of household >> and >> joiner's wife. >> >> It would appear that he could have been using an >> alias >> and that his death was registered under the alias. >> >> Would he have been required to register the use of >> an >> alias? >> >> Was proof of true identity required when registering >> a >> death between, say 1900 - 1950? >> >> Ray >> Melbourne >> Aust. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > ___________________________________________________________ >> Yahoo! Exclusive Xmas Game, help Santa with his >> celebrity party - >> http://santas-christmas-party.yahoo.net/ >> >> >> ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== >> The Bedfordshire Family History Page is at >> http://www.bfhs.org.uk >> >> >> >> ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== >> When REPLYING to a message sent to the list decide >> if this is information that all the list members >> would like to know about or whether it would only be >> of interest to the individual you are replying to. >> >> > > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ > Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with > voicemail http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com > > > ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== > For any updates our info about the status of this list go to > http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com >