Find Ancestors

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Deed Poll and Change of Name

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Michael

Michael Report 31 Dec 2010 10:39

Ethel May Margaret Robinson was born in Hammersmith 08.11.1916 and died in Maidstone 23?.12.1997.

By birth she was born Castle, the illegitimate daughter of an Ethel M. Her sister c1920 - 1981 was christened Catherine Joan Cresswell.
Her mother was Ethel M. Castle and father a Henry W. Cresswell b? Sligo, Eire.

I have found a marriage in 1919 in Bromley, Kent.

At sometime Ethel M M Castle adopted the name Cresswell and all subsequent legal documents show her maiden name as Cresswell. However, with the transfer of data onto the various websites the name appears as Presswell. At sometime she then changed her name by deed poll to Margaret Robinson.

Can anyone help with details of re the adoption of the name Cresswell and the change of chritian name by deed poll?

Michael

Michael

Michael Report 31 Dec 2010 10:43

The marriage of Ethel May Margaret Cresswell to Alexandria Harry Robinson took place in Epsom, Surrey on St. George's Day 1938 (23. April)

Michael

 Lindsey*

Lindsey* Report 31 Dec 2010 10:49

Name changes are so common, if a mother married the child would often be known by the new husband's name.
My grandmother choose a new name for herself , no deed poll needed, and that's where it makes our job more difficult !

Michael

Michael Report 31 Dec 2010 11:15

Thanks Lindsey, but the adoption of the christian name was definitely done by deed poll as she was always called EMM in the family, which she hated.

Although, she was born Castle, both she and her sister had the same father and mother.

What I am trying to do is get the records changed, as the copy of my birth certificate, my marriage certicate and other legal documents all record her maiden name as Presswell, which causes no end of problems.

Michael

mgnv

mgnv Report 31 Dec 2010 22:31

I see your birth in the GRO index with your mum's MS=Presswell rego'ed in Surrey NW RD. I can't see your mum saying that was her MS, so maybe there's a screw-up on the GRO's copy. I would contact the local office that holds the original rego, and ask them what your b.cert actually says.

Surrey NW no longer exists - your rego is now held by the newer N Surrey RD (I think)

North Surrey
The Register Office, Rylston, 81 Oatlands Drive, Weybridge, KT13 9LN.
Tel: 01932 794700. Fax: 01932 794701.
E-mail: [email protected]


Since your mum's MS doesn't appear on English m.certs, you'll have to contact whatever country your marr is rego'ed in to get that sorted - it shouldn't be a problem since you provided that erroneous info in the first place, although why you said her MS was Presswell when it was actually Cresswell is a mystery to me.

Katie

Katie Report 31 Dec 2010 23:09

I don't think birth certs can be changed... my father registered my sister's birth and the dob on her birth cert is Aug 21 instead of Aug 12 but my parents were told that this couldn't be changed. I don't know if he or the registrar made the mistake.
Katie

mgnv

mgnv Report 1 Jan 2011 23:09

Katie - I don't think it's a question of getting it changed. I'm guessing the clerk in Surrey copied the name from the register incorrectly when he made out the copy he sent to the GRO. If that's the case, then the original register entry for Michael that someone actually signed (probably Ethel) says Cresswell, and a b.cert in that name can be issued.

As for changing the b.cert, theoretically, it can be done at any time. If it's in the first 3m, then the registrar at the subdistrict where it was rego'ed can authorize the change - if it's after 3m, the the superintendent registrar at the district office can authorize the change. If it's older than that, then the registrar-general can authorize the change. (I'm not real sure of the 3/6m I quoted - it might be twice as long as that.) Of course, whether they will authorize the change, and what supporting documentation they'll require is another matter. There was a post on these boards of a woman who got her father's name added to her b.cert 17y after her birth. She spoke to the registrar and he outlined the procedure. She wrote to her dad in Canada, got him to agree and sign something which he had to get notarized, and with this she got her mum to go and see the registrar to re-rego the birth - maybe I'm a bit hazy on the details, but it ran something like that.

Michael

Michael Report 4 Jan 2011 10:24

Happy New Year to all that have replied to my original thread. My original handwritten birth certificate is correct but the 'C' has no bottom loop, so it could be interpreted as a 'P' as the top loop is almost touching the upright - if that all makes sense.

Typed copies of my birth certificate and subsequent documents show the name as Presswell. On various websites I have found many mistakes e.g. Robinson as Reverson, Pedersen as Predersen, incorrect YOB,etc; which al stem from handwritten data being transferred onto the computer.

Michael

Martine

Martine Report 9 Jul 2015 13:24

Hi Mike

I got your reply and will come back to you soon about speaking!

I may have my mum's b. cert somewhere (can't guarantee though) as I know I have a copy of my dad's. I'll have a little look, although some stuff may be in storage due to my husband moving around (being in the forces!).

Speak to you soon!

Martine x