Hi Ian I wonder if this might help you in your deliberations over the alias used in your Cullimore/Pole family. I too have a surname which uses an alias and have not been able to fathom out why they used it, however, the alias in this case was used for nearly two hundred years! I have always understood that the use of Alias with a Surname in Parish Registers could be due to a variety of circumstances i.e. (1) if a mother remarried her children would take surname of their new step father, with the original surname used as an alias or vice versa. (2) Sometimes illegitimacy gave rise to the use of two surnames, a child using the surname of it's mother and also that of it's father. (3) When a couple were not married, the common-law wife may be entered as an alias and any children from this relationship would bear a double surname using an alias. (4) Tt could also be used in order to curry favour, if an inheritance involved. I hope this helps you in some way. regards Bronwen. > From: gloucester-request@rootsweb.com> Subject: GLOUCESTER Digest, Vol 2, Issue 58> To: gloucester@rootsweb.com> Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 01:02:57 -0700>