Betty and other Lewis researchers, I worked as a professional researcher for many years and occasionally heard this family lore story of name changes at Ellis Island. The simple answer is; it didn't happen. <<. Federal immigration inspectors were under strict bureaucratic supervision and were more interested in preventing inadmissible aliens from entering the country (which they were held accountable for) rather than assisting them in trivial personal matters such as altering their names.>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island Ralph Komives In a message dated 8/7/09 8:43:31 AM, bbffrrpp@comcast.net writes: > Hello, > > I chatted on-line this week with a LEWIS man, and out of curiousity I > asked > about his ancestors.    Come to find out his great-grandparents or > grandparents? came from Poland and had an unusual surname.   The officials > at Ellis Island changed their name to LEWIS. > > I just wondered if anyone else found this out. > > Betty             (near Lowell, MA) > > > (Still looking for descendants of the LEWIS brothers living in  Liverpool, > Lancashire, England, during 1830 to 1900.    Their father had come from > Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, born ~1804.) >