Hi all Belated New Year wishes to everyone. My query is not Portsmouth/Gosport specific - but has anyone experience of a surname change and what is involved? I'm researching my brother in law's family. His father's birth was registered in 1925 as John GOLDING however, John Golding's father's surname in 1901 census was GOLDSTEIN. So surname "anglised" between 1901 and 1925. When a surname is changed, what documentation is involved - would a note be made on the birth cert records? Any help/advice out there? Rita

It has never been a requirement for you to "officially" change your name. Providing there's no intent to deceive or defraud you can call yourself what ever you want. You may find a notice in a paper: "To all it may concern: John Smith now wishes to be known as John Brown" Given the names you quote, I suspect a change without public notification, and would even guess a date. In 1914, at the start of WW1 there was a great deal feeling against anyone living here who was/might have been from Germany. This included smashing the windows of shops with German owners. Your brother in law's ancestor may well have found it politic to change his name to something more English. In message <[email protected]>, Rita Newton <[email protected]> writes >Hi all >Belated New Year wishes to everyone. >My query is not Portsmouth/Gosport specific - but has anyone experience >of a surname change and what is involved? I'm researching my brother in >law's family. His father's birth was registered in 1925 as John GOLDING >however, John Golding's father's surname in 1901 census was GOLDSTEIN. >So surname "anglised" between 1901 and 1925. >When a surname is changed, what documentation is involved - would a >note be made on the birth cert records? >Any help/advice out there? >Rita > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >[email protected] with the word >'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the >message -- Chris whitehead

Hi Chris I've tracked the family back to 1891 census Can't find them in any earlier censuses, or the grandfather's birth registed in UK - even though he states in censuses he was born in London about 1854. I'm planning to go to the National Archives at Kew in early Feb & may find out more about the family in the "aliens" (immigrants) files they have. thanks for help Rita ----- Original Message ----- From: "chris whitehead" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 4:07 PM Subject: Re: [PORTSMOUTH-GOSPORT] Change of surname - legal requirements > It has never been a requirement for you to "officially" change your > name. Providing there's no intent to deceive or defraud you can call > yourself what ever you want. > > You may find a notice in a paper: > > "To all it may concern: John Smith now wishes to be known as John Brown" > > Given the names you quote, I suspect a change without public > notification, and would even guess a date. > In 1914, at the start of WW1 there was a great deal feeling against > anyone living here who was/might have been from Germany. This included > smashing the windows of shops with German owners. > > Your brother in law's ancestor may well have found it politic to change > his name to something more English. > > In message <[email protected]>, Rita Newton > <[email protected]> writes >>Hi all >>Belated New Year wishes to everyone. >>My query is not Portsmouth/Gosport specific - but has anyone experience >>of a surname change and what is involved? I'm researching my brother in >>law's family. His father's birth was registered in 1925 as John GOLDING >>however, John Golding's father's surname in 1901 census was GOLDSTEIN. >>So surname "anglised" between 1901 and 1925. >>When a surname is changed, what documentation is involved - would a >>note be made on the birth cert records? >>Any help/advice out there? >>Rita >> >>------------------------------- >>To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>[email protected] with the word >>'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the >>message > > -- > Chris whitehead > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > message > >