Forest of Dean FHT Forum - Christian name changes

Christian name changes (reply)

james — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:10:43 +0000

Mikedavies,
Have the same trouble with my Davis/Davies family from Upton Bishop HER, George DAVIS Bn 1819, his son Bn 1856 as a William George DAVIS, but William's offspring from his marriage in 1882 were all recorded as DAVIES's .So you are not alone.
James

Christian name changes (reply)

Simone — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:17:09 +0000

Not just Christian names either Mike! Surnames too!!

I have a family who used Ward or Marshall - eventually found that Ward was a grandmothers maiden name.

Also a family using Greatly or Watkins, name of father was William Greatly Watkins.

Don't make it easy do they!

Simone x

Christian name changes (reply)

admin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:56:05 +0000

The use of names in different ways on records like you have listed above was very common. The authorities were not strict about writing down the full names in those days. It often depended on what the enumerator or officials though was appropriate to write down.

Christian name changes

mikedavies — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:28:02 +0000

Any idea why my Gt Gt Grandfather Paul Danis (Davis) listed in the 1841 and 1851 census would then be William Paul Davis in 1861, William P Davis in 1871, William Paul Davies in 1881, Paul Davies in 1891 and William P Davies in 1901?

On his son's birth certificate in 1873 he is listed as Paul Davies.

I can understand the transcription discrepancies between Danis/Davis/Davies, but could the constant changes in the listing of his christian names just be that he was given two names but didn't always use them? It certainly makes tracking him down a bit more difficult.

Any suggestions welcome.

Mike Davies