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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: Redda on Saturday 02 February 13 16:23 GMT (UK)
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Hi all,
Hit a little bit of a brick wall with the Eckersleys in my family tree. I have Benjamin and Ellen Eckersley both born about 1820 in Wigan. So far I have that they have five children, William, Rachel, Nancy, Paul and Elizabeth.
A lot of family trees on ancestry seem to suggest that Benjamin's father is Samuel Eckersley, but none of these trees have any evidence and it is contrary to the little information I have found.
I used familysearc.org and found that Benjamin married Ellen Peters in Wigan in 1842. However the record is for a Benjamin Eckersley but his father is down as Thomas Marsh.
Now where it gets strange is that all the kids are known under the name Eckersley and I can only see a census record for 1871, all the above children, Benjamin and his wife Ellen are there under the name Eckersley. In 1891 Ellen, her son William and Williams children are living together under the name Eckersley (presumably Benjamin is deceased around this time, I have been unable to find a death record).
Now whats even stranger is in the 1861 census I have found Benjamin, Ellen and all the children living together but under the surname Marsh! The birth places and DOB's are matching.
I cannot get my head round why his father is down as thomas marsh and he is down as Eckersley on the marriage record. I then cannot get my head round why all his kids are Eckerlsey but for a certain period of time they provide their surname of Eckersley before returning to the name Eckersley (presumably after Benjamin died).
If anyone can help I would be very grateful.
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He may have been illegitimate and born as Marsh or Eckersley and knew his father
His mother probably later married somebody called Eckersley or Marsh
From the IGI https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NX4L-K9Z
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Thanks for your reply. The only thing that puzzles me is why swap and change between names and why have his family keep swapping and changing?
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CaroleW thanks for that link, that helps a lot. Probably won't know why he changed his name halfway through his life, unless he had been a naughty boy with the law! Thanks again for your time and help.
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This is from the Lancs OPC website
Marriage: 25 Jun 1821 All Saints, Wigan, Lancashire, England
Thomas Marsh - (X), of Wigan Parish
Elizabeth Eckersley - (X), of Wigan Parish
Witness: Hugh Hickox; Saml. Vizard
Married by Banns by: Edwd. Hill, Curate
Register: Marriages 1820 - 1824, Page 127, Entry 387
Source: LDS film 1885691
I have seen a few instances of swapping in this situation - one post only last week when every census plus his marriage showed him as his mothers married name but the 1911 as his mothers maiden name as he was born before she married
There are no guarantees that the marriage above is the right one - it's just a possibility as a reason for the name change