Hi Marian I've spent not just a day but the best part of ten years 'playing around' with the names BRASSEY and DAVIES and haven't as yet discovered a satisfactory explanation for the 'interchange'. :-( What's particularly odd is that Joseph appears to have called himself Joseph Davies BRASSEY in adult life, whereas his twin was John Brassey DAVIES. Samuel DAVIS' widow Catherine looks to have had an illegitimate child Sarah in 1798 before marrying mason Richard HUDSON on 24 May 1802 in Bidston St Oswald. Thanks for your thoughts, anyway. Gordon From: "Marian Foster" <marianfoster@mypostoffice.co.uk> To: <eng-merseyside@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 6:14 PM Subject: [ENG-MERSEYSIDE] Brassey/Davies/Davis >Hi Gordon, I've spent the day playing around with these names and have >developed some ideas I'd like to try out. First of all was Mary Davis born >Bidstone christened 6 Dec 1789 d/o Samuel and Catharine? If so Samuel dies >in 1795 and although I can't find a second marriage for Catharine (nee >Pemberton) I wonder if she married a Brassey? That might account for the > >duality of names over the years? >My other idea is that Mary herself named a Brassey as the father of her >twins (I notice from the records that Joseph also has this double name). >There is an 1837 marriage of Mary Davies in Chester to a Robert Brassey >(wheelwright) but I notice the Brassey name kicks in around 1834. >Anyway I shall keep my eyes peeled during my wanderings and let you know if >anything pops up! >Good luck, Marian