Thanks for your comment. Sorry to have done that

I did not copy the whole of my original post which is
Under English common law, a person may take a new surname, perfectly legally, without drawing up any formal record, provided that such action is not undertaken for the purpose of fraud of avoidance of obligation, etc. So for people over over 16 years of age in England there is only one way to legally change your name and that is by using a new name. Deed Poll has never been required It always was, and still is, perfectly legal just to change one's name and notify all interested parties, provided there is no intent to defraud or other criminal intent . Deed Poll was usually used by those who considered possible inheritance difficulties in the future, so was more often used by the wealthier members of society. A notification in the local paper was sometimes used, and for every person who went to the trouble and expense of deed poll, there were numerous others who simply adopted a new name without formality. From 1914, all deeds poll enrolled in the Supreme Court had first to be advertised in the London Gazette
See
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=176http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,509013.msg3654568.html#msg3654568Stan