Miss Moneypenny wrote: > Thomas Edwards born 1815 married Sarah Prior/ Windsor to which I can find a > married to in the name of Prior or Windsor, to Thomas Edwards. Was this lady > married twice. Yes, she most likely did marry twice. The marriage certificate should sort out which was her birth surname and which was her previous married name. See if you can find a marriage for a Sarah PRIOR to a WINDSOR. If you can, have a look for his death before Sarah married Thomas EDWARDS. If Sarah's first marriage was before 1 July 1837, try www.freereg.org.uk If neither option gives you an answer, you will probably have to buy Thomas and Sarah's marriage certificate. The alternative possibility was that Sarah was illegitimate and one name was her mother's and the other either her natural father's name or her stepfather's name. > One of their children called Sampson born 1847 is known as Sampson Windsor . > his birth certificates say his mother maiden name is Prior and father as > Thomas Windsor surely it would be Edwards but is Windsor. > > So why would the father name her name and use his, has any one any ideas > that can help me sort this out and understand, I am willing to send birth > certificate to clear any misunderstanding in my request for help. The father didn't have to register the child, the mother could also do so as could a friend, relative, midwife or another resident at the same address. There are three possible reasons why a child's surname is not as expected after a marriage. The first is the registrar asks for the father's name, meaning the *child's* father, but the mother gives *her* father's name. The second is the mother gives her previous husband's name rather than her current husband's. The third is the informant (father or another person) misunderstands the question and gives the wrong name or is just plain confused, especially if it's the first time the informant has registered a child. The second or third possibilities seem to be the most likely in your instance. At that time, the registrar had to find and register all the newborn children. Having a government official in your home would have flustered many a parent, I would think :)) The parent/s could also go to register their child themselves. They didn't have to wait for the registrar to find them. -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk http://www.savethegurkhas.co.uk/