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  • Three aliases

    The use of 'Aliases' is something which before now I have always associated the term with something unlawful until I found this;
    http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....fe/Aliases.htm
    which gives a totally different value the term and where I need assistance.
    I have in my ancestors a George Wood,a smuggler, who was shot dead in 1784 at Hastings and have never found his birth nor his father.

    However the search goes on and what I have found with an incident at Hastings and from the book called 'The Smugglers' by Lord Teignmouth and Charles G Harper page 137 there is this;
    'There was an indictment in the Admiralty Court on 30th October 1769 of 13 men for piracy and murder on the high seas; namely,Thomas Phillips,elder and younger, William and George Phillips,
    Mark Chatfield,Robert Webb,Thomas and Samuel Ailsbury,James and Richard Hyde,William Geary alias Justice alias George Wood'.
    Of this group Thomas Ailsbury,William Geary,William Wenham and Richard Hyde were hanged at Execution Dock November 27th.
    My question is with William Geary who had two aliases (Justice [ presumably William as 1st name ] and George Wood) ..... could this 'George Wood' have been the father of George Wood who was shot in 1784?.
    Hope so

    Joe

  • #2
    From what I have found with the use of an "ALIAS" especially in court proceedings, the birth name is used as identification, the alias names are listed and are known by the court. In the incidence of being the father of a child I would find it very unusual for the actual father not to use his own name. The ALIAS, I would assume, would be used to avoid being caught at any misdemeanours trying to avert capture by the law.
    Vonny

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    • #3
      That's exactly what I thought Vonny.
      Unfortunately the link in my earlier post did not work.
      If it works this time you will see what I am getting at ...try this;

      Joe

      Comment


      • #4
        I agree with Vonny's assessment of how alias names are presented in Court proceedings but I think it is VERY possible that "George Wood" would have a child named George Wood rather than George Geary - not much point having an alias if you don't use it in all situations!

        Whether this is YOUR George Wood, I do not know.

        OC

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        • #5
          After reading the link that joboy put in his last post, a marriage is void if the alias is used knowingly, also any child from that marriage would not have status ie, born the wrong side of the blanket - as it were! That would leave the child not really knowing what his/her true name was and would have identity confusion? Wizz on a hundred or so years and now of course we have DNA which can prove positive identity.
          Vonny

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          • #6
            Haven't had time to read the link, going out in a sec, but I am astonished if it is true that a marriage contracted with an "alias" name is invalid - you can call yourself whatever you like. Marriage is contracted between the bodies of two people and as long as they are free to marry each other then the marriage is valid even if they call themselves Minnie and mickey Mouse!

            Back later.....

            OC

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            • #7
              I am particularly referring to the point in our (British) history when surnames were at last being formed.
              Take another look at the link at this point;
              "1. Retention of patronymics. During the 16th century many men were reluctant to abandon ancestral names and consequently retained the forenames of their fathers or grandfathers as surnames. For example William HARRY of Luxulyan in 1547 was described as William HARRY alias WATT - Watt being his grandfather's forename."

              Do you see where I am going now?

              Oh where is Guy when you need him?

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              • #8
                Alias - at another time

                Though an alias may have been used to hide behind many law abiding people used an alias; sometimes it was passed through a family for hundreds of years.

                We tend to think of names as static but in the past a person could be know by his trade such as John (the) Smith but if he moved from his home town of Warrington to another town he may be known as John (of) Warrington to distinguish him from another smith also called John.
                At other times people chose their own names to introduce themselves by.

                In the example William Geary, Justice (probably no other name used with this) and George Wood were one and the same man.

                Without knowing more details it is impossible to say whether George Wood is the George Wood shot in 1784 or whether he was the father of the said George Wood or if there was no relationship at all.
                Were any ages given?

                Cheers
                Guy
                Guy passed away October 2022

                Comment


                • #9
                  Have now read the article and I think it is saying that a marriage is invalid if an alias is used specifically to deceive (someone) at the time of the marriage. I think it is the deceit, not the actual use of alias, which invalidates the marriage.

                  A small point - I live near a small village which was for many centuries very isolated. To this day many people are known by their nicknames, or aliases, to distinguish one George Bloggs from the other seven George Bloggs. So you have George Froggy Bloggs, because he looks like a frog in someone's opinion, George Nan's Bloggs (George, grandson of Nan Bloggs) George Bikey Bloggs (the bikeseller) and so on. In the street they are shouted as Froggy, Nan's and Bikey.

                  The same principle must apply in many other small or remote places.

                  OC

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                  • #10
                    Have to agree there OC. I was recently working on some PRs for a remote bit of North Cumberland and there were lots of similar examples used merely to distinguish one John Bowman from the twenty or so others in the area. Some of the "otherwise" names were nothing like John Bowman!

                    Anne

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Guy View Post
                      Alias - at another time
                      In the example William Geary, Justice (probably no other name used with this) and George Wood were one and the same man.
                      Cheers
                      Guy
                      Thanks Guy ...... the above is really all that I shall be working on.
                      I know that Pam (PMR) in Queensland is working on this as she has the widow of William Geary who married a Joseph Wood who may well have been a brother to the George that I seek.
                      Joe

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