WILLIAMS to COOK (General)

by GeoffD , Saturday, June 16, 2012, 13:25 (4534 days ago) @ slowhands

I am interested in this name change because George Williams (1849), son of James & Ann, married Emma Malson on 5 Jul 1868 at St John, Cinderford.

Emma already had a daughter, Leah Kate Voice Malson (1865), father not known, but there may be a clue in Leah's third forename of Voice. It appears that Leah then lives a separate life from her mother as she never appears in any census return with Emma.

In 1871 the Williams family are living in Drybrook. (RG10 2597/36/3)
George Williams, aged 22, married,born in Cheltenham,Blacksmith
Emma Williams, aged 25, married, born in East Dean
Emma Williams, aged 2, born in East Dean
Annie Williams, aged 1 and born in East Dean.

In 1881 the family are in Ruardean. (RG11 2586/49/15)
George Williams, aged 32, married, born in Cheltenham,Blacksmith
Emma Williams, aged 34, married, born in Drybrook
Emma Williams, aged 14, a scholar, born in East Dean
Annie Williams, aged 12, a scholar, born in East Dean
Fanny Williams, aged 9, a scholar, born in East Dean
Dorothea Williams, aged 7, a scholar, born in East Dean
George Williams, aged 5, a scholar, born in East Dean
Bertha Williams, aged 6, a scholar, born in East Dean
Tom Williams, aged 2 and born in East Dean
Albert Williams, aged 2 months and born in Ruardean

Sometime before the 1891 census the family switch to COOK.

In 1891 the family are at Harry Hill. (RG12 2004/83/11)
George Cook, aged 43, married, born in Cheltenham, Blacksmith
Emma Cook, aged 45, married, born in East Dean
George Cook, aged 16, born in East Dean
Bertha Cook, aged 14, a scholar, born in East Dean
Tom Cook, aged 12, a scholar, born in East Dean
Netty Cook, aged 8, a scholar and born in East Dean

To date I haven't found the family in the 1901 census

In 1911 the family are at Harry Hill. (15225/023)
George Cook, aged 63, married, born in Cheltenham, Blacksmith in Colliery
Emma Cook, aged 65, married, born in East Dean
Ellen Cook, aged 27, unmarried, born in East Dean
This return records there being 8 of the 10 children surviving. George and Emma have been married for 43 years.
There is also a grandson, John Lardner (1893), in the household. He is Annie Williams son.

Do I presume this is another part of the Cook's Blacksmith empire.

I have read the thread and if I have understood it correctly, George is following the pattern of his father James Williams, who was married to Ann, and changed his name to Cook between 1861 and 1871. I am assuming that the enumerator should have recorded James age in 1871 as 55, not 35. James then, was born to Ann, before her marriage in 1819 to James Cook. Am I to presume that it is this James Cook, who is running the Blacksmith business, which triggers James and later George to change their surnames from Williams to Cook? I hope I've understood that correctly.

Geoff Dunbar