Don't always believe your relations!!

[toni*]

my dad is known as Harry to everyone and anyone but his real name is John! not sure where the Harry came from at least with my uncle who is known as Rex to all Rex is his middle name.

[patrish]

My grandfather was known to everyone including his children as Frederick Emmanuel, when my mother needed a visa to go to the USA she had to obtain his death certificate, guess what    Emmanuel Frederick

[rancegal]

When my uncle Jack died, my mother (his S-I-L) who had known him all her married life, was astounded to find his name was Horace! My dad's brother was also often called Jack, although his name was Arthur. Really, it's a wonder we can find any of them!

[Simon G.]

my dad is known as Harry to everyone and anyone but his real name is John!

We have/had the same with my grandfather, who's name was Isaac but he went by the name of John.  No idea where the John came from, as he never had a middle name at birth, marriage or death.

[patrish]

My great grandfather was called Jacob but changed it to John, even on his death certificate. 

[WHS1899]

My family rumour...

My mum was told by her grandad that he had a brother called Septimus (came from Latin for "Seven") who was the 7th son to be born and he drowned when he was seven!

The truth...

JOSHUA  Septimus was the seventh son to be born to the family, but he grew up and married! Reuben the youngest drowned in the River Trent in his 20's.

Guess great grandad was having fun pulling Mum's leg!!

Beverley

[Cybermouse]

The Great Family Myth........................................

My Grandfather was on the first boat to land on Gallipoli during WW1 in 1915.

Hmmmm, never one to take things at face value I decided to research this interesting story but alas many years and $$$$ later I discovered from his WW1 papers that his battalion did not land in Gallipoli until the August offensive.
Dissapointed? NO! His papers and further research proved he was on the very last boat to be evacuated off Gallipoli in December of that year. So it seems my family myth has a certain amount of truth to it. Just a little wayward, lol.

[JoJoBuggins]

These stories are brilliant, makes you wonder what they are thinking when they are telling us these things.

Its a wonder we can find anything

Beverley B, my grgr grandmother's father was called Septimus, very unusual name, thanks for explaining the meaning.  I've had some fun finding him on the census

Jo

[kateblogs]

My gran always told me that her father had a brother called Dominic who died at Ypres - but I can't find any record of this chap ever being born. My great grandfather did have a brother John who served in WW1, but he survived and married in 1919. I'm now working on the theory that maybe Dominic was a cousin.

I also have a grandad who didn't use his own name first name. He was always known as Tom, but supposedly his name was Leo. In fact his name was Philip Leo. And yes, I could imagine him having a chuckle as I tried to find that out LOL