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  • Change of Name LONGSTAFF

    Hi everyone, my first post for a long while. I am dreadfully afraid that I may have been following the wrong line in my family history.My problem lies with my GG Grandfather.I have been following John LONGSTAFF and his wife Eleanor through the generations but today when looking up the 1911C, he suddenly pops up as John Williamson LONGSTAFF and his wife is shown as Eleanor Williamson LONGSTAFF. I would be very interested to hear from other members as to how/why this should happen - all other details eg birthplace, age seem to be "approximately" correct. I can't find any birth registration at all for a John Williamson Longstaff (around 1853 but spread over 5 year search).
    All input gratefully received and acknowledge.

  • #2
    To be sure you really need to work back through the generations with certificates which will confirm your findings.
    What information do you have for your great grandfather - have you found him on the census with his parents John and Eleanor in the earlier censuses - if so can you give some details.
    Elaine







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    • #3
      The 1911 census shows his place of birth as Stamfordham which comes under the Castle Ward registration district.

      I cannot see a possible birth registration for a John Longstaff but there is one for John Williamson - Sept quarter 1852. There is a possibility that he was illegitimate and decided in later life to use his birth name as his middle name - but as I said before you really need some certificates to find out what's going on.

      Give us as much as you have got about your great grandfather and we'll see if we can see anything for you.
      Elaine







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      • #4
        Have you got him in all censuses as John Longstaff? What names does he give on his marriage cert? It might be that he was illegitimate - fits with the birth reg Elaine found. Maybe his mother married a Mr Longstaff and he adopted that surname and then added Williamson to be a bit grander. Or perhaps the Williamson bit came from a legacy, sometimes people adopted a family name when they inherited.
        ~ with love from Little Nell~
        Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

        Comment


        • #5
          John Longstaff

          Hello and thank you Little Nell & Elaine.I appreciate your comments and the logic behind them.

          Starting from scratch I have the BC for my Grandmother Elsie Gladys LONGSTAFFEin 1901 showing her father as John Longstaffe and informant her mother Edith Sarah Longstaffe at 41 South View Byker Northumberland.Fathers occ. Fireman on Loco.(also have them on 1901C)

          Then I have her MC in 1920, showing John Longstaffe as a Loco Engine Driver (NER).

          Assuming this at least is the correct John I have his BC 14 June 1880 at 41 Edward St., Gateshead father John Longstaff occ. Railway Guard, mother Ellen formerly GIBSON.MC of John LONGSTAFFE(first time the E on the end was added)occ. Fireman, address 47 South View to Edith Sarah BARNES Dec 25 1900. Father John LONGSTAFFE occ. Driver(presume Loco).

          Have them on 1901C.living with Edith's widowed mother at 41 South View,Heaton.

          I have 1901,1891,1881C showing John (Senior) & wife Eleanor as LONGSTAFF,it is only on the 1911 that they appear with the Williamson name added.

          I have a Pension Application for John LONGSTAFFE Jnr. (NER)dated May 1910 showing his DOB as 3rd June 1880? Date of Death 25 June 1936 so I obtained his DC and it shows John Williamson LongstaffE aged 56 died 25 June 1936....informant son L. Longstaffe.

          I hope this isn't too long a post and too long-winded.Regards Marilyn

          Comment


          • #6
            My grandfather picked an interesting middle name out of the blue and added it to his own round about 1900, when he was an adult.

            It has no family significance whatsoever and I think it was just a popular thing to do at the time.

            I wouldn't worry about the added E, either, that may have been a clerical assumption or a deliberate act to make him distinguishable from all the Longstaffs without a E. Spelling was very fluid in the 1800s.

            OC

            Comment


            • #7
              If I've got this right, you have two instances of Williamson being used as a middle name??
              • 1911 census for John Longstaff born c1853
              • Death certificate for John Longstaff born c1880

              .. in which case sounds as if it is a family name at some point in the past.
              Elaine







              Comment


              • #8
                Not sure if you have access to Ancestry - am giving the links - but if not let me know and I'll transcribe the entries.

                Going back through the census with John Longstaff, born c1853

                1881
                Household:
                John Longstaff 28 - born Stamfordham
                Eleanor Longstaff 26
                John Longstaff
                RG11; Piece: 5034; Folio: 148; Page: 33


                1871
                Household
                Thomas Longstaff 60
                Mary Longstaff 48
                John Longstaff 18
                Henry Longstaff 13
                Edward Longstaff 5
                RG10; Piece: 5153; Folio: 50; Page: 26
                Begin your discovery today by exploring the world's largest online family history resource!


                1861
                Household
                Thomas Longstaff 46 - occ Ag Lab
                Mary Longstaff 38
                Jane Longstaff 15
                Alice Longstaff 11
                John Longstaff 8
                Jacob Longstaff 5
                Henry Longstaff 3
                Elizabeth Longstaff 1
                RG9; Piece: 3763; Folio: 4; Page: 2
                Begin your discovery today by exploring the world's largest online family history resource!


                Trying to find the same family in 1851, I am wondering if Thomas has a different wife - not to mention a slightly different age!
                Household
                Thomas Longstaff 30 - occ Ag Lab
                Eleanor Longstaff 38
                Christophe Powell 18
                Robert Powell 14
                Jane Longstaff 4
                Alice Longstaff 2
                HO107; Piece: 2391; Folio: 419; Page: 31


                Not too sure about this 1851 entry at the moment as Jane and Alice's places of birth vary a bit as well.


                What I am trying to work towards is a possible remarriage for Thomas -
                Marriages Dec 1854 (freeBMD)
                Longstaff Thomas
                Ridley Thomas
                Robson Mary
                Williamson Mary
                Hexham 10b 346

                ... which could tie in with your Thomas Longstaff being born as a Williamson in 1852.
                Elaine







                Comment


                • #9
                  There is a Mary Williamson born c1823 Scotland (same details as Mary Longstaff in the 1861 census) - showing on the 1851 census as living in parish of Stamfordham, which was where John was born c1852.

                  HO107; Piece: 2413; Folio: 473; Page: 12
                  Elaine







                  Comment


                  • #10
                    If the 1854 marriage of Thomas Longstaff to Mary Williamson is correct, then we would expect his first wife Eleanor to have died sometime between the 1851 census and 1854.

                    The only possible I can see at the moment is:
                    Deaths Mar 1852 (freeBMD)
                    LONGSTAFF Ellen
                    Durham vol 10a page 116

                    .. but unfortunately there are no ages given at that time so difficult to match up.
                    Elaine







                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Oh my goodness Elaine you have done such a lot of work on my behalf and I can't thank you enough. I will make this a short reply until I can read through your emails and the info fully, I don't have access to Ancestry.When I received the death cert of John Longstaffe (Jnr)I was convinced he was the wrong man as I hadn't come across Williamson anywhere else, but then when John Snr. came up on 1911 yesterday it threw me for a wobbly, and I thought this must be one family and my John Longstaff's must be another family.Thank you again so very very much.

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