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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Suzy100 on Saturday 10 October 15 19:58 BST (UK)
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One of my ancestors was named Emily 'Statham' Ricketts, has anyone else come across this name as a first name? It just seems rather unusual? They come from Derbyshire, she was born 1863. I can find it as a surname but not as a first/middle name. Thanks
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Usage of a name in that manner would usually indicate a surname in the maternal line... maybe her mother or grandmother's family surname.
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Yes lots of my ancestors and my sister and aunt have surnames as middle names
kath
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That is exactly how I got started on my family history about 30 years ago, my grandad's middle name was Mockridge,which I knew was his mother's maiden name,so I went from there.
That was back in the days before everything being online of course and I had to go on a monthly coach trip down to the Family Record centre in London to look at the records,both BMD's and census.
Carol
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They can be a big boost and help to locating ancestors. Especially when they are rare or close to being unique.
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My dad on the left, has his mother's maiden name as middle name. William Jupp Redman, it is quite common for firstborn. He was very proud to be so named.
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Great thanks everyone. Really helpful and interesting.
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Great thanks everyone. Really helpful and interesting.
Nice to see you always happy to help. we are near neighbours, I am West Sussex.
Jane :)
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And if the surname isn't immediately obvious, look further afield. I have one ancestor with the middle name taken from his aunt's husband. Or it could be from someone totally unrelated, but perhaps well known or notable in the area; I also have several Horatio Nelson's in my family tree, as first and middle names.
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The only worry which I have about this, is my own security, because my middle name is my mothers Maiden name. I do not like it when a security question is "What is your mothers maiden name?"
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The only worry which I have about this, is my own security, because my middle name is my mothers Maiden name. I do not like it when a security question is "What is your mothers maiden name?"
Don't you find that there are usually a choice of questions nowadays,I have been asked what was my first pet's name,but sometimes I can't remember!
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I read an article about Marriage Dowrys in the 1800's
a Dowry is when the Brides family pass on Estate or money over to the groom as part of the marriage deal .
So - it was not uncommon for the father of the bride to "insist" the brides maiden name was used as a middle name of children so that his family name carried on being recognised and contrary to what we were brought up to believe it was quite common for the proposed bride to be encouraged to get pregnant BEFORE any marriage so that when the father of the bride KNEW his daughter would have children his money wasn't wasted .
this was actually encouraged and not frowned upon .Can you imagine a man giving a lot of money to the Groom and then being told his son in law was in not able to father children .
So that was another reason for middle names being mothers maiden name .
:)
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The only worry which I have about this, is my own security, because my middle name is my mothers Maiden name. I do not like it when a security question is "What is your mothers maiden name?"
There is no need to use your mother's maiden name, do as I do, use a different name that you will always remember.
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I read an article about Marriage Dowrys in the 1800's
a Dowry is when the Brides family pass on Estate or money over to the groom as part of the marriage deal .
So - it was not uncommon for the father of the bride to "insist" the brides maiden name was used as a middle name of children so that his family name carried on being recognised and contrary to what we were brought up to believe it was quite common for the proposed bride to be encouraged to get pregnant BEFORE any marriage so that when the father of the bride KNEW his daughter would have children his money wasn't wasted .
this was actually encouraged and not frowned upon .Can you imagine a man giving a lot of money to the Groom and then being told his son in law was in not able to father children .
So that was another reason for middle names being mothers maiden name .
:)
That probably accounts for one of my lines'predilection for marrying cousins of various degrees, to keep property in the family.
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That probably accounts for one of my lines'predilection for marrying cousins of various degrees, to keep property in the family.
Very common in the 1800's . :)
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Another reason not yet mentioned is giving an illegitimate child the father's surname as a middle name.
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Another reason not yet mentioned is giving an illegitimate child the father's surname as a middle name.
True. My husband's father was illegitimate but took his mother's married surname, but his middle name was that of his birth father. Imagine the problems that caused with research.
It was brushed under carpet but sort of known due to unusual middle name. But never ever referred to. It wasn't till last year I discovered truth, though with little to go on his birth father is impossible to find.
An interesting thought, my husband has no claim to his surname. Then by marriage , myself and kids have wrong surname!
Oh what a tangled web we weave.....
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The only worry which I have about this, is my own security, because my middle name is my mothers Maiden name. I do not like it when a security question is "What is your mothers maiden name?"
There is no need to use your mother's maiden name, do as I do, use a different name that you will always remember.
One of my. Grandmothers had the same maiden name as her married name
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The only worry which I have about this, is my own security, because my middle name is my mothers Maiden name. I do not like it when a security question is "What is your mothers maiden name?"
There is no need to use your mother's maiden name, do as I do, use a different name that you will always remember.
One of my. Grandmothers had the same maiden name as her married name
So did my gran,as she married her first cousin,their dad's were brothers,the nearest 2 in age.
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Hi, my parents both had the same surname when they married so my mum never had to change hers! I've adopted a surname from someone in the family who I quite liked, after all, those asking the security questions have absolutely no idea whether you've given the correct name or just plucked one out of the ether!