WHORLTON / HONEYMAN Identity Confusion - theories please

[Jomot]

Ann Whorlton gave birth to an illegitimate son, George Whorlton, baptised in March 1818 at Hutton Rudby, Stokesley (N Yorks).  In August 1819 Ann married Thomas Honeyman, a weaver, and went on to have several more children.

In the 1840 census George is with his mother & stepfather and is recorded as George Honeyman.  Was Thomas the father all along - not sure - but George seems to have identity confusion for the rest of his life:

1841: Marries Hannah Simpson as WHORLTON
1841-1849 George & Hannah have at least three children - all christened as WHORLTON
1851 Census: Family recorded as HONEYMAN.  George is a licenced hawker.
1851-1860: At least five more children born, all christened WHORLTON
1861 Census: Family recorded as HONEYMAN.  George is now a Grocer & Draper.
1863-1865: Two more children born, both christened as WHORLTON
1871-1901 Census: Recorded as HONEYMAN. Occupation Grocer & Draper
1902: Death recorded as HONEYMAN

George's children seem equally confused, with some marrying under their birth name Whorlton and others marrying as Honeyman (I descend from Richard - born 1847 as Whorlton but married 1866 as Honeyman).  The males that married as Whorlton also seem to switch to Honeyman on the census but, like their father, christen the children as Whorlton.

I don't have all the certs but those I do have confirm the BMD names as above, and for each child on the census as Honeyman I've found a matching birth as Whorlton.

Permanently ditching one surname in favour of another I can understand, but try as I might I cant come up with a decent theory as to why the family kept switching between the two names - and not just one generation, but at least two.   

Any thoughts please?

[iolaus]

Sounds like he consistently USED Honeyman in day to day life but for legal documents used his legal name (who registered his death - did they know he wasn't legally a Honeyman?)

[Jomot]

Death cert is on order but probate was in the name George Honeyman and was granted to his son, also George Honeyman (but born Whorlton).  This George also christened his children Whorlton but used Honeyman on the census.

Most of the family remained within or very close to Hutton so I am expecting the death to be registered by one of his children.

[c-side]

I’ve come across this a few times including in my own research.  I had no idea that there was an alternative surname until I found his wife’s burial which gave her name as Mills alias Saul.  It explained why I’d never found his baptism and also why they were missing on a couple of census returns.  I also found 3 more children - all baptised under Saul when their siblings were baptised as Mills.

I have no idea why they kept switching between the two but it plays havoc with the family tree programme 

Christine

[Plummiegirl]

My g/aunt was illegitimate and after her mother married my g/g/grandfather she too suffered the same id crisis

For everyday use she used her mothers married name Fowler but for all legal uses she used her birth surname of Brain.

And I have found similar situations in other branches of my family.

So not that uncommon.  And remember you can call yourself whatever you like as long as it is not for fraudulent/criminal purposes.

[Colin Cruddace]

It might be something so simple as financial penalties for giving false information for census. No penalty for registrations, unless for fraudulent purposes.

We might understand the systems but I doubt if our ancestors did, and couldn't afford to be fined.

Colin

[Marmalady]

Yep, I've got a similar family in my husband's tree

Born Joseph Plant to  parents Martha Horobin & Joseph Plant (they were actually unmarried but Martha was using the Plant name at the time)
On census as a child with paternal grandparents as Joseph Horobin (father had died & mother remarried)

Marr cert signed as Joseph Richard Horobin

Some of his children are bpt as father  Richard Horobin, others Joseph Horobin, others Joseph Plant,  one as Joseph Horobin alias Plant

On other censuses he appears as Richard Horobin, Joseph P Horobin

In adult life, some of his children used the name Plant and others used Horobin -- without any relevance as to which name they were registered or bapt under

Took me a long time to sort them all out!

[Jomot]

I hope you had plenty of wine handy when you were figuring that lot out Marmalady!

Maybe in my case then it really was as simple as keeping the 'legal' name separate from their day-to-day lives, but later down the line some of the Honeyman's had a reputation for being a bit Del Trotter / Arthur Daley so maybe I was looking for something that's not there - I was half expected tax-dodging explanations or something along those lines 

[Drewt]

I believe one of the children of Thomas Honeyman and Ann Whorlton was my great-great-great-grandfather William Honeyman (b. 1832 in Hutton Rudby).
I've only recently started posting on Rootschat, and, while searching for family names, found your post. I thought I would just say Hi!