Agnew.Ballymena? change of name?!!

[lynnsefton]

My husbands grandfather was edward johnstone..but we know he changed his name from AGNEW!
luckily my husbands aunt had kept letters from when his grandfather died..one from a friend mentioned he knew his grandfather and his mother when he was a child..the letter was from scotland!!  we do know the Agnews where from Ballymena..William Agnew is living in scotland in 1901  with his mother Elizabeth Agnew..both born Ireland...  so this confirms he changed his name..so i dont know if his name is william edward agnew or if he  just used edward?!!  on his marriage cert it says his father is samuel agnew of independent means?  is this fiction too?
I think he was born about 1885..the person who knew him and how i found him is francis h deas..luckily its a rare name..we also have a photo taken in Ballymena..no name on it but i would guess its either William/edwards father or grandfather..would be so so glad of any help..where Elizabeth went after 1901 i dont know?  Edward i should think joined the army after 1901??  i do have army certs from early 1900s..hope someone can help or knows of a family link..best wishes Lynn Johnstone...1901 census scotland..Elizabeth is married ..no husband there..says living on own means!

[Skoosh]

Lynn, the Agnew's were Galloway Lairds who settled in Antrim/Down around the time of the Ulster Plantation......Skoosh.

[lynnsefton]

Thanks for info..have been trying for many years to crack the nut of his grandfather!! We dont know how many famuily there were even..my father in law who was born in 1918 remembers going over to see family there in Ballymena..but i think he was quite young.  Story was he ran away and they brought him back  and then he joined the army..its all very vague!!  Buit that is def the family in 1901 scotland census..i looked on 199 census for ireland..no elizabeth that matched..so maybe she was stil in Scotland then? or perhaps died?  So frustrating!!  But my best wishes to you   .. Lynn

[scotmum]

If you search the birth index at

http://www.rootschat.com/links/080g/   

 there were a number of William Agnew births in the Ballymena area around the right timescale, however none with middle name Edward.  There is one Edward Agnew birth recorded in Ballymena, but in 1895.

In the Scottish 1901 census, is his mother noted as married or single?

[lynnsefton]

sorry..i  maybe didnt make his names clear..he married and died as edward johnstone..but as i said we know he changed his name from agnew..in 1901  there is a william agnew with his mother at the address in scotland were we had the old letter from..it is def the right family..she is married  but husband not there..i did notice on the 1891 census for england there is a  william r agnew with elizabeth his mother..says her husband is residing at woolwich..so guessing he is in the army?!!
unless in 1891 he is in ireland?!!  her ages change too?!!  any help i am really really grateful for.
Edward johnstone died in 1935 aged 49..so that makes birth around 1885/86?!! or did he make his age up for the army?  so many questions!!  Best wishes Lynn

[aghadowey]

The spelling of the 'new' surname JOHNSTONE sounds as though it might be more Scottish than Irish- Johnston is the more common spelling in Ireland.

[lynnsefton]

dont know why he chose JOHNSTONE!!??  his army records are all in Johnstone.  The letter really helped me out.  i didnt know his mothers name before that? asuming of course it is his Mother?  Says it is..but you never know!  the story of the name change came  from his son and daughter ..the photo too has Ballymena printed on it..by the look of it ..its Edwards/Williams father

[scotmum]

If he married and died in Scotland, both certificates should have more details of his parents. Do you have these and do the details match each other and what you already know?

If his mother is Elizabeth Agnew and is noted as married in the 1901 census, then could Johnston have been her maiden name and her son born out of wedlock? If she then married,  her son could have taken on the Agnew as he was growing up and then he reverted back to Johnston when older ?  Just throwing in some possibilities for you to consider.

You say you know his marriage certificate stated his father was a Samuel Agnew, yet you say he himself married as Johnstone....another possibility that I wonder if you have checked is could his mum have been widowed soon after 1901 and married again, this time a Johnstone, hence him taking on the name? Again, just suggestions to ponder. I wonder that the marriage record did not note him as 'formerly known as' or just 'agnew or johnstone', given that it would no doubt have seemed strange at time that he was usung a different surname from his father.

[lynnsefton]

he married in england..said his father was samuel johnstone!! of independent means!
he died also in england.  On 1901 census she  says she is married. a story was told that he ran away to join the army..so that would be when he changed his name i guess?!!
samuel may not be his fathers name?   so frustrating!!  but thanks for the reply!! any help is very grateful!!  get there hopefully in the end!! wonder if it is him in 1891? living with elizabeth in england?
i did look up 1911 census..he is in the army and abroard i think? i am sure he says he is born scotland on that census? i will go and look at record again!!