General Chat

Hello, I would appreciate some other geneology sleuth's opinions on whether or not some individuals' names may have been changed by the War Office during WWII to protect them if they were working on something 'hush-hush'?

My Hubby's Grandfather was a bit of a mystery man, he has no proper birth record that we are aware of, only a Marriage record in 1941, we can't trace who his parents and siblings were, and now we don't even know if his name was his REAL name, or one given to him, if you follow me.

What circumstances would cause a male person born in 1919, just listed as in London, to have no searchable records? Was it common for illegitimate children to be just handed a name out of the phone book and not even given their mothers name? Or was it possible that due to his scientific and technical work during the War, that he was 'assigned' a new name for security? Or was he a spy? The Old boy never talked about his childhood, or what he did during the War, so even the family don't know what he was up to. Perhaps he was simply born illegitimate and was ashamed of it, we don't know.

All this conjecture is driving us barmy, any 'out there' opinions would be helpful.

I dont know Ann my thought would be to post the marriage details you have and see if someone else can find any trail back,just in case you are missing something

If his marriage has been recorded, there must have been records of his birth, as this is checked before you can get married. Hence the reason why you must give notice.

When we applied to get married in Australia, my OH (born in Lancashire) filled in the form stating his mother's name as Loyd. We were told to come back on the evening before the wedding and were then told that he had spelled his mother's name incorrectly - should be Lloyd. Even so, we didn't learn for another thirty years, that his father had changed the spelling of their own surname when OH was very young. Only by one vowel, but they found him! This showed us that it is all checked. Not just the birth record, but marriage records are checked too, to make sure you are not already married!

WAS POSSIBLY A FOUNDLING

A foundling? You mean Orphan? That was another possibility, that he was born to an unwed mother, and she gave him up at birth to an Orphanage, and they just picked a name out of the Phone book for him! Would probably explain why he never talked about his childhood either, if it was a terrible one with no family.

Thanks for the info, I will chase up the Marriage certificate.

You don't have to produce a birth certificate in the UK to get married. That's why many an illegitimate child invented a father for their marriage.

Rose

I dont know, I was married in the UK in the very early 90's and had to obtain a birth cirtificate to do so, I hadnt had one and had to go through all the rigmorole of obtaining a copy so I could Marry. I also remarried last year and again had to provide my birth cert as well as divorce papers etc.

I was also born illigitimate, but my fathers name is on my birth certificate so I dont know that is the answer - mind you your chap is a generation or two older so things could have been different.

I think its more likely a change in surname or mis spelling, mis spellings by the registrars are more common than you think.

Some babies where abandoned by their mother (on a doorstep , hospital etc) and were given a name e.g abandoned at St Thomas hosp and given the name Thomas.

There should have been a parents name on the marriage cert.

Not all records were checked at the time of marriage or you would not have had bigamists.