<<Times change and you cannot go by modern rules and laws but look at what was done then.Requirements, if any were not so strict and I don't think many people did a formal name change as you are describing; all most did was start using a new name.>> Legal requirements for name changes were just as strict in the 18th c. There's a 500-page book of such cases at NEHGS in which I found a long-lost ancestor who changed his name from his birth name to that of his benefactor in 1762. He had to go to court, publish in newspapers to advise the public of the fact, and wait a certain amount of time before using the "new" name. Each case has details of why the person needed to change - most fascinating! These cases were all in Mass and Conn. Jan Hall

Interesting. Do you have a name or author for the book? Celia <Halltall@aol.com> wrote in message news:23.171183db.29665d98@aol.com... > <<Times change and you cannot go by modern rules and laws > but look at what was done then.Requirements, if any were not so strict and I > don't think many people did a > formal name change as you are describing; all most did was start using a new > name.>> > > Legal requirements for name changes were just as strict in the 18th c. > There's a 500-page book of such cases at NEHGS in which I found a long-lost > ancestor who changed his name from his birth name to that of his benefactor > in 1762. He had to go to court, publish in newspapers to advise the public of > the fact, and wait a certain amount of time before using the "new" name. > Each case has details of why the person needed to change - most fascinating! > These cases were all in Mass and Conn. > > Jan Hall >