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Its been a long wait but i have the 1911 census page for Alice and Charles Doughty.  They are now living together as man and wife in brunswick street with 5 children John, 13, Charles 12, Edward 8, James 5 and Rose 1 yr 6mths.  It also says there were 4 other children born alive but no longer living. All are listed as born in wolverhampton accept Edward who was born in Runcorn Cheshire.  Charles occupation is now bricklayers labourer not boatman and his age is 43 despite him been listed as 40 on his wedding cert 4yrs later, no wonder i couldn't find him.  As they are still at same address when they got married i know i'm looking at the right family.  There were 2 Charles doughtys born in wolverhampton at around the right time of 1865 1866 and both had fathers named charles so how do i now find out which is the right 1.  And how do i find out who he was previously married 2. The census has narrowed it down but raised more questions.
Any help much appreciated.

I want to trace my husbands side of the family as well as my own.  But my father in law never new his natural father and his mother always refused to tell him anything about him, even his name. But when looking up my father in law's birth record i discovered that the name he goes by isn't the name his birth was registered under.  It seems his mother was unmarried at the time of his birth so his birth was registered in his mothers maiden name.  She then married when he was about 3 and he took the name of his step father.

Am i right in thinking that as his birth certificate has his step fathers name on it rather than what is says in the birth records that his step father must have legally adopted him?  And if I were to send for the original birth cert in his mothers maiden name would that be supplied or would it be refused due to the adoption? (i'm hoping for a fathers name)

And should i even be contemplating opening this can of worms. 

Oh wow, thats amazing.  Thank you so much. I do know he was badly injured when captured so that would explain the medical bit, in fact he never recovered from his injuries, my main memories of him from when i was a child is having to have my dad translate everything he said because i was unable to understand his slurred speech.  I was only about 8 when he died.

He was actually repatriated before the end of the war as there was no likelyhood he would be able to return to the battlefields.  I also have a letter from the war office to my nan, telling her he was coming home.  Have to admit to filling up as i read that one.

The hand written bit in the top right corner reads 'Marienwerder Wagner'
Is that a person's name?

Thank you for all the ideas.  I've looked at the access tutorial link and I think i'm going to struggle to understand all the features, I can see it would be the better choice but think i'd need to go back to college before i could use it.

Which leaves me with excel.  I've been having a mess around with it and think i can make it do all that i need but i'm going to contact freebmd first and ask what format would be best for them, as then i can upload the details there making them available to everyone searching the same name. (plus it would be a back up for me)