Dear all What's in a name? I wonder if anyone can help solve the following mystery. Since some time before I got involved in 'all this' (via 'Lovelocks Alive' 2004) I've been puzzled by a gravestone at Wootton Rivers: that of the elder brother (John William L. b. 1844) of my great grandfather (George b. 1846). John William appears to have been buried with his second wife, Harriett; his first, Jane, having died young. On the gravestone we find 'John William Lovelock ... and his wife Harriett Merriett' (there's a photo on the website). I've always wondered if the mason made a mistake, 'Merriett' not being a first name I've come across elsewhere, and also being so 'like' 'Harriett'. This of course is to assume that 'Harriett Merriett' parallels 'Mary Jane', which is clearly what Malcolm L. and Richard Moore and/or the compilers of the Wiltshire MI did - for that's the source of the info. given on the website in 'Lovelocks in Wiltshire by Parish' - referring to 'Harriett Merriett Lovelock'. On another part of the site, John quotes the inscription direct. Harriett came from Swallowfield and the following appears in 'Lovelocks in Berkshire by Parish': Reading, St Giles supplied by Jill Fleming: 1882 Mar 12 John Willam Lovelock, bricklayer, Father: David Lovelock, bricklayer and Harriett Merrett With all due respect to Jill, a (presumed) mistake (if such it was) in transcribing Will[i]am could suggest a similar one with 'Merriett'. However, the IGI also has 'Merrett'. Free BMD, on the other hand, has 'Merritt', referencing Marriages, March 1882 - March 1882, Reading, Volume 2c, page 499. Returning to the gravestone, there's no hyphen, so we don't seem to be in a double-barrelled scenario. It seems unlikely (to me anyway) that Harriett simply retained her single name, while that from any possible first marriage - like John William she was 37 when they married - seems even less likely, although the minimal 'Family' info. available via the IGI gives Harriett's father as one Joseph Dicker. Other scraps from the Lovelock website are: (i) the 1891 census (Graham's extractions) has Lovelock, John William and Lovelock, Harriett M. living in Milton Lilbourne (Pewsey RD); (ii) Lovelock GRO deaths on our website has 1922 Lovelock Harriet (sic) Merritt (sic) - as well as (9 places above) 1922 Lovelock Harriet (her sister-in-law, my great grandmother), both Pewsey RD; (iii) the marriage does not appear in Lovelock GRO marriages. Does anyone - John maybe (as 'the Berkshire main man'), Robert, or Jill Fleming or Helen Norton - have any more direct sources or ready access to originals, whereby we might be able to get to the bottom of this? Or must I get a copy of the marriage certificate - and hope that's clear? Greetings Robin