I have encountered this in my research. Fortunately not a direct relation. Just a relation of my cousin. I wont mention any names as descendants of the person concerned are still living, I met one last year, but will try and give an idea what happened. The chap concerned was born in Scotland and was sent to Canada by the Scottish Orphanage. He fought in the First war with the Canadian army. After the war he stole something small and was jailed for a little while. To hide this he changed his surname. When he married in the 1920's he gave a fictional name as his father and asked his sister if he could use her name as his mother. She refused but he still listed her name as his mother (she may not have spoken to him after that). When he died his death details listed his fictional father and his sisters name as his mother. How he got away with this I have no idea but then there were no computers in those days. Another case my grandfather was born illegitimate in 1862 and named George Henry Briggs. When his mother married, Charles Markham in 1865 he became known as George Henry Markham. A name he used when he married. All his descendants were Markham's (like me). I wondered if Charles Markham could be his father and married when he did. I decided to have a DNA test. The result was that there was no way I could be a Markham. My grandfather's father was possibly Polish. I jokingly said to a Polish friend that a Pole may have raped my great grandmother. However the friend sent me details that in the 1860's poles were persecuted and many fled to England. These included Poles of all walks of life included Counts. My DNA details are on the web site seeing if anyone will get back to me. Two people did but their markers were not enough. I will however always be known as a Markham. Victor On 16/03/2014 9:15 PM, Louis Mills wrote: > Hi, Missing LIncs, > > This question came up on another mailing list, but why would you change your name? > > No, not YOU, but one of your ancestors. I have some personal experience with this. I was born with the name you all know me by, but my mother registered me under her new married name when it came time for school. Fewer questions, I guess, when it came time to meet the teacher. But when I turned 18 I faced three issues that would affect me for the rest of my life: > > 1. I was going to college to get a degree. Should it be in my birth name or my school name. > 2. Potential military service. > 3. Potential Citizenship in my new country. > > Mind, you, my birth record didn't match my school records, and I needed the birth record for #2 and #3. Now, in America, like in England, you can go by any name you want as long as you are not engaged in any fraud or felonious act. I elected to return to my birth name, and I'm not sorry. > > But I can understand why one of my ancestors might pick a different name. Particularly if they had a criminal past, or had abandoned a family, or fled a large debt. Or if they had a father they disliked. Some men used an older brother's name to enlist if they were under age, and the new name "stuck". My wife has an ancestor who won a ticket to America in a card game and he adopted the name written on the ticket and never reverted back. > > So, tell, do have a relative who changed his name? Why? > > Lou > > > > ------------------------------- > 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

This is ironic, Victor. You have someone who became Markham after being born Briggs. I have a Markham born illegitimate in 1845, who became an Elsham - at least temporarily. Charlotte Elizabeth, whose mother (Jane Markham) married an ELSHAM and Charlotte is shown as Charlotte Elsham in the 1851 census. I don't have easy access to the 1861 census, so I don't know when she changed back to Markham, but she married as Charlotte Markham in 1864 (to Robert Robinson). Happy hunting!   Diana Robinson (nee Gardner) Now in Rochester, NY, USA -----Original Message----- From: Victor Markham [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2014 5:36 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [LIN] Why would you change your name? Another case my grandfather was born illegitimate in 1862 and named George Henry Briggs. When his mother married, Charles Markham in 1865 he became known as George Henry Markham. A name he used when he married. All his descendants were Markham's (like me). I wondered if Charles Markham could be his father and married when he did. I decided to have a DNA test. The result was that there was no way I could be a Markham. My grandfather's father was possibly Polish. I jokingly said to a Polish friend that a Pole may have raped my great grandmother. However the friend sent me details that in the 1860's poles were persecuted and many fled to England. These included Poles of all walks of life included Counts. My DNA details are on the web site seeing if anyone will get back to me. Two people did but their markers were not enough. I will however always be known as a Markham. Victor