Ancestor possibly using an assumed name?

[LizzieL]

Haven't we established from service records earlier on this thread that Henry Humphreys and James Glen had different coloured eyes?

[sparrett]

Yes,
I do believe so!

[paganmogwai]

Hi all and a huge thanks for all the help and suggestions.  I think I've got a long job on my hands working out what happened to Henry but this thread has definitely clarified a few things for me.  Many thanks.

[jonwarrn]

May not be the right person, but mention him in case.
Free index to the 1921 census has Henry J Humphrey, born 1881, Kent, living in Portsmouth.
Address is 24 Collingwood Road Southsea, schedule 285.
He is the head.
Wife is Amy C Humphrey, born 1881, Shoreditch, London.

There are six children.
Eldest is Harold, born 1911. Youngest is Ernest J, born 1920.
Can't see a birth registration for Harold. The others are registered in Portsmouth, and have mother's maiden surname Davis.

Is there a marriage for Henry and Amy?

Helped with that address by the 1920 Kelly's Directory of Hampshire (Portsmouth streets) which has Henry James Humphrey, marine store dealer, at 24 Collingwood Road.
There's a 1925 Portsmouth newspaper report of an inquest into the death of Violet May Humphrey of Collingwood Road, age 2 years 11 months. Father Henry James Humphrey.

Sadly, Harold died 21 May 1940, age 28.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2502069/harold-humphrey/

Back to the '21 census index, James and Sophia Glen and family are in Birtley, Durham.

[tazzy]

I have the same problem with one of my ancestors.
William Somerville (various spellings) who was married to Janet Wotherspoon in June 1863 in Edinburgh.  Janet was his Aunt in Law who was originally married to James Muirhead, his mother's brother.
On William and Janet's Marriage certificate, she is shown as a spinster but was a widow as her husband died in 1860 in Old monkland Airdrie.
Last entry for William is 1881 census in Carmyle living with his Mother.
He was a Flour Miller and worked at Hallcraig Mill.  I have a newspaper entry for him stating that he was bankrupt but unable to find any death for him since then,   Maybe he changed his name.  William was born in 1837 in Cambusnethan

[phenolphthalein]

I have ancestor who had an alias -- thougt it might be to do with his convict history. After 40 years of thinking so, newly released records enabled me to determine that his widowed mother remarried to a man with the alias surname when he was young.  So he had his birth name but was also known by his step-dad's surname.

I had a twice widowed ancestor who reverted to her first husband's surname because she had no children with the second man and i guess it stopped her having to explain her relationship to her children constantly.

We all assume aliases imply something sinister but basically all it means is that you are known by a different name. Lots of married women these days use both their married surname and their maiden names at various times -- not to mention the ordinary mispronunciations and misrecordings every day such as by shop assistants etc

We must remember too that amongst the people with the greatest number of aliases are the royal family and nobility -- only for them it is dignified by being called titles and not just aliases.

Regards
pH

[ThrelfallYorky]

Nice point there, about Royal "aliases"!

[paganmogwai]

Hi Jon,

Yes i saw that person as well.  Am on the hunt for relevant marriage etc.  Thanks

May not be the right person, but mention him in case.
Free index to the 1921 census has Henry J Humphrey, born 1881, Kent, living in Portsmouth.
Address is 24 Collingwood Road Southsea, schedule 285.
He is the head.
Wife is Amy C Humphrey, born 1881, Shoreditch, London.

There are six children.
Eldest is Harold, born 1911. Youngest is Ernest J, born 1920.
Can't see a birth registration for Harold. The others are registered in Portsmouth, and have mother's maiden surname Davis.

Is there a marriage for Henry and Amy?

Helped with that address by the 1920 Kelly's Directory of Hampshire (Portsmouth streets) which has Henry James Humphrey, marine store dealer, at 24 Collingwood Road.
There's a 1925 Portsmouth newspaper report of an inquest into the death of Violet May Humphrey of Collingwood Road, age 2 years 11 months. Father Henry James Humphrey.

Sadly, Harold died 21 May 1940, age 28.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2502069/harold-humphrey/

Back to the '21 census index, James and Sophia Glen and family are in Birtley, Durham.

[paganmogwai]

Hi, yes I am wondering if I've been reading more into this that might be the case.  Sophia had children with both Henry and James but its curious that she reverted to using Henry's surname almost immediately James had died, and while her children with James were still living with her.  There's probably nothing in it but it just fascinates me.

Thanks.

I have ancestor who had an alias -- thougt it might be to do with his convict history. After 40 years of thinking so, newly released records enabled me to determine that his widowed mother remarried to a man with the alias surname when he was young.  So he had his birth name but was also known by his step-dad's surname.

I had a twice widowed ancestor who reverted to her first husband's surname because she had no children with the second man and i guess it stopped her having to explain her relationship to her children constantly.

We all assume aliases imply something sinister but basically all it means is that you are known by a different name. Lots of married women these days use both their married surname and their maiden names at various times -- not to mention the ordinary mispronunciations and misrecordings every day such as by shop assistants etc

We must remember too that amongst the people with the greatest number of aliases are the royal family and nobility -- only for them it is dignified by being called titles and not just aliases.

Regards
pH