My OH's father, Arthur, had the middle name MARSDEN.
Neither he nor his wife had any idea why that was, and although he'd asked the family, he got a reply that indicated he shouldn't have asked (even about his own name

)
When I did the research back through the family, I found that Arthur's own father had been born illegitimate, and that the Marsden came from the man his mother subsequently married, and who brought him up - although he married under his mother's surname and the family is still called that name.
Whilst I can see that the family may have wanted to keep the illegitimacy quiet, what surprises me is that Arthur never knew his grandparents' surname was MARSDEN and not his own surname.
Sadly found this out after Arthur had died. Mind you, not sure he would have appreciated it.................
