Any reason why an ancestor would use two last names?

[heywood]

Free Reg -Codsall has these baptisms - all noted from ‘other transcript’ St Nicholas

John Ready 12 April 1818 - parents John and Margaret Ready
George Ready 4th May 1822 - parents Joseph and Margaret Ready * said to be upwards of two years old
Benjamin Ready 9th June 1822 parents Joseph and Margaret Ready
Charles Ready 20th June 1824 - parents Joseph and Margaret Ready
Alexander Ready 3rd June 1827 - parents Joseph and Margaret Ready

Mary Meredith 2nd May 1813 - parents Joseph and Margaret Meredith
Alexander Meredith - as you write Meredith or Ready
Elizabeth Meredith - 5th September 1830 - Joseph and Margaret Meredith

[Millmoor]

The 1851 census has Joseph Meredith's place of birth as Claverley, Shropshire. Interestingly the index to death duty registers has an entry for the will of an Esther Ready or Meredith  from 1812 which refers to a Joseph Southall of Claverley. The actual will was proved at Canterbury and so can be viewed on Ancestry. This shows Joseph Southall was Esther's brother and that she was late of the parish of Envillle.

So Joseph was not the only person to be referred as Ready or Meredith. I agree with those who have suggested that illegitimacy is a possible explanation, either for Joseph himself or for his father. ( I cannot see a baptism for Joseph in Claverley but note that there is a baptism in Enville, 29 Jan 1786 - mother Elizabeth Meredith).

William

[osprey]

possible marriages
Enville St Mary 31 May 1767 James Blower of Alveley, Shropshire and Esther Southall otp
and then same parish
17 Dec 1777 John Meredith  and Hester Blower, both otp, one of the witnesses being Joseph Southall.
Burial 17 March 1769 James Blower

[Cas (stallc)]

Does not help initial query, but agree with Millmoor there are others with same double surname, or middle name.  Maybe holds a possible connection, or just coincidence?

Name:   Samuel Ready Meredith
Marriage Date:   13 Jan 1799
Marriage Place:   St. Mary'S, Kingswinford, Stafford, England
Spouse:   Eleanor Parbut
FHL Film Number:   1040003
Reference ID:   item 4

Cas

[hilarykellis]

Is there any chance Ready or Reddy is simply an Anglicized version of Meredith and the family used both interchangeably?

I’m noticing Meredith being spelled Mareddyth in early parish records for Claverley…

[hilarykellis]

Hi all, on FindMyPast, I see a baptism for Joseph Riddy to Mary Riddy on 25 Sep 1791, in Claverley. Might this be him? 1841 census gives 1791 as approx year of birth while 1851 census gives 1787.

There is a burial for Joseph Meredith b. 1786 d. 1854 in Enville, so I think that is the other Joseph who is baptised to Elizabeth Meredith.

What do you think?