Baffled - any ideas/wild guesses/sensible theories?,

[MaxD]

Here's the puzzle.  Emma White, later Emma Double, appears as such on her marriage cert and all relevant censuses from birth to 1891.  One of her daughters, Ada, appears in relevant censuses 71,81,91 as Ada Double and then later as Ada Birchall.  However, in 1901, Emma, now a widow living in St Ives with the family of another daughter, appears as Emma E Double.  In the same census, Ada, living in Fulham with her husband, appears as Ada E Birchall.  In 1911, Emma now is recorded as Emma Edgcumbe Double.  Ada died in 1903, her death is recorded in the register in Wandsworth as Ada Edgcumbe Birchall.  So - assuming the "E" in 1901 stood for Edgcumbe, where the Sam Hill did it come from.  There is no Edgcumbe connection in any other sibling or in anywhere else I've looked related to the 2 ladies.  Theories (or even explanations) welcomed!

MaxD

[Marmalady]

What does her birth certificate say?

[wozzle]

i see emma was born in 1828 in london
what does it say her fathers name and occupation was on her marriage cert

[candleflame]

I had a similar thing happen to me and when all came to all, the 'odd' name was actually the maiden name of the maternal next generation back so if that was true in your case that would be possibly Emma's mums maiden name. ( ie passing down the name to keep it alive I guess)
As my relevant relative had been born pre 1837, I had to buy a birth cert for a younger child to get that maiden name. As mine was an odd name that also appeared on a local pub, I had wondered if the name had come about because there was a strange relationship with the publican but it was way simpler than that.
This possibility may not fit your family but you did ask for theories

[MaxD]

All theories gratefully received, they may give an idea for a new avenue of research.
Baptism record Jan 1828 says Emma White, father Henry White, mother Mary Ann White (I think she was Mary Ann Payne).  Henry named on marriage cert in 1854, publican (he was landlord of the Marlborough Head in Dedham Essex).  No Edgcumbe there.  Following Candleflame's  lead, I'm now sending for daughter Ada's marriage cert to see what it says.  Just to add that Emma had 6 other children apart from Ada, none of the others have the mysterious E or Edgcumbe in anything I've seen (although I must admit I do not have all certificates - bit expensive).

[waiteohman]

My grandmother had her godmother's surname for a middle name.

[MaxD]

Presumably from birth?  The E/Edgcumbe only appears in documents when the 2 were respectively 73 and 22 years old!

[jorose]

Ada died in 1903

- I can only see a marriage for her! familysearch shows it to Herbert William Buckley, she's shaved a couple years off her age and gives her father as "Joseph Dobell".  She may be "Ada E Buckley" in 1911.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/ - shows she divorced her husband in 1902, given only as "Ada Birchall" on that index, though.

Looks like she has a son Francis in 1901, he may be registered as "Francis Cyril E Birchall" on freebmd - he also had the middle name "Edgecombe":
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maryc/welg1918p2.htm

So the connection was there at least by 1893 when Francis was born.

[Freckles5]

Hi

I have a couple of people in my tree like that.  One had the middle name Lonsdale, which turned out to be the maiden name of his 3 x great grandmother.
Another had the middle name of Carew.  There are no Carews in the family and we can only think that she was given it because the area she was from had a noble family there with that surname.

Freckles