Why the name change?

[MaggieB]

Hi
I am trying to obtain some advice on the best course of action in trying to locate a missing ancestor in NewYork. I would really like to know if there is any way of finding him or wether it is a lost cause. The family information I have on him is that he jumped ship while in New York and desertion being an offence went on to change his name. After an extensive search by family he was found, apparently by then he was married and had a family.
The ancestor in question had been in the British Navy until 1923 and while in Bermuda had bought himself out, and enlisted in what I assume was the Merchant Navy. He travelled from Bermuda to New York on a number of occasions, this information I have from the ships manifests, but what I can not understand is that the last manifest I have shows in 1924 he was discharged. Why then would he have needed to change his name if that is the case?
I can find no trace of him in the death records under his original name, so have to assume that the information the family gave was correct. Perhaps he reenlisted and then deserted.
Surely to obtain work in America he would need some sort of documentation, i.e. social security number and to marry wouldn't he need his birth certificate, and have to give his father's name, unless he lied about that?
I have his birth date and where he was born, his parents names etc, is there any way then of finding some one with these details even if he changed his name, which I assume was only the surname?
I would appreciate any help you could give, many thanks.

regards

Margaret Machin

[Christine in Herts]

Welcome to FTF, Margaret!

Altho' FTF has a UK bias, we're gradually increasing our knowledge of genealogy in the wider world.

Have you searched in the SSDI, yet? (Probably, Yes, from your post - but needs to be asked!) That could give you something to work on. If you manage to find his death record there, then that would be the basis for two useful pieces of documentation:
[1] a photocopy of his application for a Social Security number and
[2] a copy of his death cert (assuming that his death took place somewhere near where his last social security payment was made)

If you get [1], there's a lot of useful info you can glean from it - certainly enough to make sure you match him up to his UK family.

Family stories can be baseless, but usually have some elements of truth in them.

Do you know his DoB? you might be able to find enough parameters with that to find some likely candidates in the SSDI.

Christine

[MaggieB]

Hi Christine
Many thanks for your reply, I think I need to re-examine the SSDI, I do have his date of birth and it might as you say give me some likely candidates. His name was Thomas John Edward Gass, so he might, if as the story goes changed his name, not have strayed too far from his orginal birth name. I will keep trying as I am intrigued to find out what happened to him.

regards

Margaret Machin

[vikki brace]

One thing I remember reading once about people who "disapear" is that they will change their name but not their date of birth.

Don't know if this will help, but if he did register for SS then he will have been required to provide his DOB at least

[Christine in Herts]

One thing I remember reading once about people who "disapear" is that they will change their name but not their date of birth.

Don't know if this will help, but if he did register for SS then he will have been required to provide his DOB at least

I think that's probably true: it's just easier to remember. Certainly my errant grandfather kept his DoB... subject to the variable year element (which was usually six years later than actual!).

I do know of a couple of people who didn't change their names or try to escape their families - but they did change their DoB (never worked out why). Edwin James CHRISTMAS and Christie Russell CHRISTMAS were twins, b 30 Aug 1877. They had a younger sister, Eiley May CHRISTMAS, b 5 May 1879. I know the dates, because I've seen their birth registration entries. Both the lads joined the navy, where there DoBs are given as 3 May 1874 and 30 Aug 1879, respectively!

Christine

[Uncle John]

Edwin James CHRISTMAS and Christie Russell CHRISTMAS were twins, b 30 Aug 1877. They had a younger sister, Eiley May CHRISTMAS, b 5 May 1879. I know the dates, because I've seen their birth registration entries. Both the lads joined the navy, where there DoBs are given as 3 May 1874 and 30 Aug 1879, respectively!

Could it be something as simple as bad handwriting? A badly-written second 7 could just about become a 4 or a 9. And a bad 5 (for May) could look like an 8 (for August). And the zero of 30 could have been missed off! A bit of a chain of what-ifs, I admit.

[Christine in Herts]

I know what you mean UJ. I can't see that I have any of the seamen's records to hand, but I recall that Christie caused me a puzzle in 1901, by appearing to be 21 - tho' he's back to 33 for the 1911.

Christine

[MaggieB]

One thing I remember reading once about people who "disapear" is that they will change their name but not their date of birth.

Don't know if this will help, but if he did register for SS then he will have been required to provide his DOB at least

Hi Vikki
Searched endlessly the SSDI put in the DOP only and still could not find any suitable matches, hoping something would jump out at me, but alas it didn't. If Thomas changed his name he may have changed christian and surname. I have come to the conclusion that I am on to a lost cause, as I can not think of any more avenues to explore.

regards

Margaret:(

[Christine in Herts]

Hi Vikki
Searched endlessly the SSDI put in the DOP only and still could not find any suitable matches, hoping something would jump out at me, but alas it didn't. If Thomas changed his name he may have changed christian and surname. I have come to the conclusion that I am on to a lost cause, as I can not think of any more avenues to explore.

regards

Margaret:(

Looks like a "back burner" item, to me.
I've sometimes had "lost causes" I'd forgotten about, and then some new snippet turned up to unlock a door in my "brick wall" - a door I hadn't known was there!

Christine