RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Philezra on Sunday 07 October 12 18:25 BST (UK)
-
Hi - Is this just a trait in Devon and Cornwall where, up to a certain point in the 20th Century, many people (men only??) could be known commonly by their Middle name as opposed to their given First name?
My Grandfather was christened John Stuart Mills (born in Camborne, Cornwall) but was known as Stuart
A chap christened Frederick Wilfred Worden (born in Devon) was known as Wilf. Another, whose middle name was John is known by it - seems pretty common actually - any thoughts from anyone???
thank you
Phil
-
Could it be that they were called after their fathers and so the middle name was used to distinguish them? My brother was always known by his middle name for this reason and we live in the north west. claytonbradley
-
I have an Irish line where several of the men were all known by their middle names rather than their "given" forename, even to the extent of signing documents and census entries. I also know personally of individuals from the Hebrides Islands who went by their middle name as they had been given the same forename.
-
Hi Philezra,
I know with my Cornish side that my ggrandfather was referred to as Dick because his father was Richard, also with ggrandfather Nicholas his son was called Nick. I have often seen a daughter with the same name as her mother called by her second name.
In my Welsh side every child of one family was called by their second name all their lives, and I had to wait for the 1911 census to find out their first names ???
Ambers
-
I was baptised John David - my father was John - I was always called David - except when I was in trouble!
jds1949
-
Hi,
A couple of mine from East London were known by their middle names & one was called Jack although his name was Alexander!!.
Sharon
-
Hi Phill,
my father and his 6 siblings were all known by there middle names-haven't a clue as to why.We are a bit further west than you-Wales :) :).
Marysma
-
Both my mother and my late father have always used their second names for no apparent reason other than one parent ( possibly their Mums) not wanting to use the name the father had put on the birth certificate. I do know that my paternal grandfather came back from market to announce that he had registered my twin aunts - and named them without consulting my Nan. We live right on the welsh border and I've known several people who didn't use their first name. :)
-
My fathers family come from the Islington area of London. When I asked him about general family information when starting my research he told me about an aunt Winifred. It took a lot of research to find out that her real name was Mary. There is no Winifred in her name or as far as I can find out.
We have no idea why she called herself Winifred.
-
Hi,
Some of my London ancestors, both men and women, had a habit of switching their names; I spent time looking for Frank........when I found his birth he was Peter Frank. ::) Just to keep me on my toes Maria Rachel was sometimes Maria, sometimes Rachel!
Nanny Jan
-
Hi,
I had the same problem and thought it was confined to Derbyshire! I am in the South East. also fatehers and sons have been named the other way around so Brian Morris (known as morris), his son was Morris Brian (known as Brian) ???
-
It was fairly common in Welsh villages for the sons to be known by their second names because - as has previously been mentioned - sons were often named after their fathers, grandfathers, uncles.... so there had to be a way of avoiding confusion. In the village where we used to live there were only about four surnames so to avoid confusion, people were known by their house or farm names rather than their surnames. This unofficial system worked well except for the family who lived next to the public conveniences in the village. The locals had dubbed their house 'Toilet Cottage' so the unfortunate resident was referred to as Dai Toilet ;D
-
Hi all
I also thought it was just my Northamptonshire family that managed to change things around - several were known by their middle names throughout their lives - my maternal grandmother was christenend Alice Mildred but always known as Millie?!
??? :)
-
My father was one of 7 brothers. They all had 3 christian names and were called at home by their 3rd name but at work some of them by their first name.
-
In parts of Ireland it was often more (or less, depending on your viewpoint)confusing.
Say you were christened Daniel Murphy in area where Murphy was a very common surname, you could quite easily be identified by adding your father's name (called Michael for this example) and would be known locally as Danny Mick. Now your children would be called Joe Danny Mick, Mary Danny Mick, Tom Danny Mick etc - so that the "seed, breed and generation of you", as the saying goes, would be known.
-
That's hilarious breenbyre - love it! Can't quite decide whether it's 'more' or 'less' confusing. ;D
-
NSW Australia ;D
My NSW born Parents and their respective siblings have ALL been known by their "middle names" with one exception (see later).
You see, on my Dad's side, he was one of 17! All the boys first names were JOHN or ROBERT (in turn of course, their Grandfather's were John and Robert). All the girls first names were MARY or ELIZA (you guessed it, their Grannys names !)
Similar on my mother's side, and she was one of 11 !
The exception is my late Uncle .... John George Albert (3 given names) ...... he was known as "Gareth" from his earliest days .... and as "Uncle Gar" to my generation and Pop Gar to the younger set. When he married, his three given names were recorded on the church documents, and the civil registration has JGA too, BUT he signed "Gareth" ..... The Minister being his older bro ;D You will realise that JGA used his "usual signature" to sign those ledgers. :)
My cousins and I have a good laugh at what future family history searchers will make of that possible confusion.
Cheers, JM
-
I have always been know by my middle name and was even taken out of my first school at the age of 5 because the teachers insisted on using my first name.
Funny thing is both names are my birth names and was adopted into my family from the age of 2 months but my new mother didn't like my first name.
However I had to get used to my first name when I did Jury Duty couple of years ago ;D
Jean
-
My father was always known by his middle name, because he hated his first name (Horace). He was named after his uncle on his mother's side, who promptly emigrated to Australia when my father was 2. Not really surprising to see that his mother was also calling him by his middle name on the 1901 census, when he was 3 :)
-
Both my brother & I were called by our middle names and we're a Lancashire family! My cousins also had to endure being called by their first names in official circumstances. The others were lucky - their first names were quite nice, but my first name is awful and has haunted me throughout my life. I've now trained my doctor's surgery to use my middle name and am busy training my dentist - why are they all so familiar these days? In hospital I had to train all the nurses, one of whom tried to explain it to another by saying, " Her name is H----, but she likes to be known as G-----", as though it was a name I had chosen myself.
My first name was that of my father's sister and my brother's was that of my mother's grandfather, so that probably explains it, but why, oh why couldn't my parents have put those names as middle names, I wonder?
Gillg
-
My Dad is in hospital in a four bed bay - James and John opposite him are known as Jim and Jack, he is known by a name unrelated to his first or second name and, luckily for the staff, the John next to him is known as John!
-
What have I started?!!!! :D
thank you all - I think it clarifies the fact that it is NOT confined to the South West
Phil