General Chat

Many thanks for the help, everyone! Stevie - you seem to have found the same Census info as me, but thanks!

I haven't had the birth cert yet, I've just sent for it, but once I have I'll be straight on the death registers for the parents!

My hypothesis was that Albert's parents both died before he was 2, his uncle Mark took him in and raised him as his own, so now my mind is at ease that it's the same person. Mark was probably listed as his father on the marriage certificate as he was simply the nearest to a dad he had. This sound likely?

Cheers again!

More than likely.
I believe that my great grandmother was born Jane Macey in 1871, mother Elizabeth Macey nee Crawley, father shown a Charles Macey, but brought up as Hannah Jane Harris by Jane Crawley and her husband Charles Harris.
I have Jane's birth certificate (issued 1935 and handed down) and the marriage certificate for Charles Harris and Jane Crawley. Censuses show a Jane Harris with the right birth year at 4 Middle Street, Shoreditch.

Elizabeth Crawley and Charles Macey seem to have appeared out of thin air and disappeared just as quickly, though.
If anyone comes across them I would be MOST grateful.

And here is the same family in the 1881 census. This Albert now shown as Albert Davis

Name: Albert Davies
Age: 12
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1869
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Mark
Mother's Name: Teresa R.
Gender: Male
Where born: Shignsl, Shropshire, England

Civil Parish: Wolverhampton
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street address: 143 Gt Brickilm St
Education:
Employment status: View Image
Occupation: Scholar
Registration district: Wolverhampton
Sub registration district: Wolverhampton Western
ED, institution, or vessel: 26
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Mark Davies 49
Teresa R. Davies 41
Ann Davies 21
Kate Davies 18
Albert Davies 12
Rosa Davies 7
Mark Davies 5

Regards,
Steve.

Hi Angela,
I'm came across a similar situation, tracking a family for someone back through the censuses.

In this case I had a Henry Lock Curtis in the 1871 census. But in the 1861 census he was Henry Lock, mother Sarah Curtis, father shown as Thomas Curtis.

Henry's was either born to a previous marriage of Sarah, or out of wedlock. But at some point between 1861 & 1871 his stepfathers surname was added to his own.

I'm quite sure that you have a similar situation here.
Also I checked BMD on ancestry, by just putting in Smout as christian name & no other details.
Only 19 birth regs came up with that name and all had Smout as a second name. And Alberts marriage in 1891 was easy to find in the same search.
The death of Albert Smout Davis in 1906, Wolverhampton Shropshire/Staffordshire/WestMidlands shows him as born abt 1868.
There is a corresponding birth for Albert Smout in 1868 Shifnal Shropshire/Staffordshire.

The 1871 census shows Albert as Albert Smoset (poor transcription of Smout) and not as Albert Smout Davis.

1871 Census
Name: Albert Smoset
Age: 2
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1869
Relation: Nephew
Gender: Male
Where born: Shiffnal, Shropshire, England
Civil Parish: Wolverhampton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Andrew
Town: Wolverhampton
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Street address:
Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
Disability: View Image
Registration district: Wolverhampton
Sub registration district: Wolverhampton Western
ED, institution, or vessel: 34
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 105
Household Members: Name Age
Mark Davis 39
Rosa Davis 31
Ann Davis 11
Catharine Davis 8
Elizabeth Davis 6
Agnes Davis 3
Edward Davis 7 months
Albert Smoset 2

I think Albert Smout Davis & Albert Smout are one & the same.
Is the name of his mother in his birth cert, the same as Rosa in the census?

Another possiblity is that Albert was the son of one of Marks' or Rosas' siblings & due to circumstances ie death of parents. Mark & Rosa adopted him.

I hope this helps.
Regards,
Steve.

More than possible that his Uncle was listed as father. Have one of these myself.

They appeared to change their name at the drop of a hat. Remember though that most could not read or write so it was what the person who was doing the writing thought they heard. I also have a Wompra legitimate who was registered as Smith, I think because the person who was writing his birth registration could not spell Wompra.

Gail

Yes indeed, he is very likely to be the same guy. ;)

People changed names somewhat willy nilly.

A child whose mother married, or remarried, would often be reared by a stepfather and use his surname. When the child married, s/he might name a father who had the surname of his/her mother or stepfather or real father, depending on what surname the child used, and the given name of his/her stepfather or real father ... or maternal grandfather, or uncle ... and the occupation of any one of them ...

My gr-grfather changed his surname when he was 30ish, for reasons I have only recently discovered. When he married, he named a father with that fake surname, but his real father's given name, thus inventing a person who never existed but that my family thought for 120 years was my grandfather's grandfather!

Your Albert was very possibly the son of an unmarried Ms. Davis (if the uncle is his maternal uncle) and a Mr. Smout, and registered in the father's name although the parents weren't married.

I'd look around the area for a Mr. Smout who might have been the father.

Certainly get the birth certificate for Albert Smout so at least you will know who his mother was -- Davis or Smout, for starters -- and can dig further to try to confirm or deny that he is your guy.

Hi all, I need some advice on name changes and adoption in the 1800s My GG-Grandfather was called Albert Smout Davis (Smout being a middle name, though I am aware it can be a last name) and was born in Shifnal (now Shropshire, but then Staffordshire) in 1868. The earliest census information I have on him is aged about 2 in 1871 where his name is indeed listed as Albert Smout Davis, and was being brought up by his uncle, Mark Davis, in Wolverhampton. I also have Albert's marriage certificate where his name is listed as Albert Smout Davis and his Father listed as Mark Davis. I thought it unlikely that his father and his uncle would have the same name, but put it to the back of my mind and requested Smouty's birth certificate.

I received a letter back from the local authority today stating that they could not find an Albert Smout Davis, but they could find an Albert Smout (Smout as the last name here) born in the Sept Quarter on 1868 in Shifnal. His father's name obviously was not Mark Davis either.

So here is my question: are the A S Davis and A Smout and likely to be the same guy? What official channels were around then as far as name changing was concerned? My hunch was that it wasn't done officially in those days, it just sort of happened, though if possible I would like some kind of documented proof that they are one and the same. I am aware that adoption was not done officially until the early 1900s, but would it still be likely that he listed his "uncledad" Mark as his Father on his Marriage Certificate, or was that unheard of?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me on this subject and I hope I haven't confused anyone!