Possible name change

[Gmelliottuk]

All relatives are deceased so no issue there.

My sister in law's grandmother was called Edith Muriel Robson b. 20th Apr 1933. She married Mervyn John Fitzpatrick in 1954 and died with the surname Fitzpatrick in 2011. All straight forward you would think.

The family have always known though that Fitzpatrick wasn't always the original family surname and that it was Lebb or Lieb or something similar.

I have traced Edith on the 1939 register, living in Chopwell, Durham, with her surname annotated to Libb (DOB is mistranscribed as 25th Apr, but it's definitely her). This obviously fits with the family's information.

What I'm a bit confused about is that the marriage record says Fitzpatrick, so not sure how they knew to annotate the 1939 register with Libb.

We have no idea where Libb came into it, but suspect it was Mervyn's original surname. Why he changed it is anyone's guess, but it might lead us to his birth record

As always, any help is much appreciated

Thanks

[PhotoFamily]

So, you're asking who are Mervyn's parents? Do you have his DOB, or a link to the 1939 record?

[cbcarolyn]

looks like the marriage record has and L as an initial, what does it say on the certificate?

[Gmelliottuk]

I'm awaiting the certificate in the hope that it sheds more light.

PhotoFamily, we just don't know what Mervyn's story is or where he even is in 1939. He doesn't seem to show up under Fitzpatrick or Libb. Edith was born 1933, so my guess would be that they were fairly close in age. Using a wide date range, I can't find one that fits.

Any idea why the 1939 register would have the name Libb listed against Edith rather than Fitzpatrick?

[Guest]

maybe his birth

Mervyn J Lebb

Oct 1921 [Nov 1921] [Dec 1921]

Oct-Nov-Dec

Pontypridd

Mid Glamorgan

Evans

11a

1061

[GallowayLass]

If Val is on to the right birth, here's the probable marriage of the parents

Percival J

Lebb

4

1920

-

Percival J Lebb married one of these people Mary E Evans

Evans

Pontypridd

-

Glamorganshire

Wales

11A

11A

1197

[Gmelliottuk]

It's a bit of an age gap to Edith, but could be the right one. The family did say Lebb rather than Libb. I was only going off the 1939 record for Edith.

In any case, they married (and lived) as Fitzpatrick, so there's an unknown reason it was changed.

I'll check out that record though

[Guest]

have you seen the newspaper record of him? its attached to a tree on Ancestry

[GallowayLass]

Turns out the above marriage was actually Caerphilly. The image is on ancestry. Mary Ellen died 1928 Caerphilly. Percival is living at 14 Railway Terrace, Caerphilly with a daughter who married in 1947 to Antonios Papadimas. Ivy and her husband are both deceased.

Mary Ellen Evans

Female

24

Marriage

1896

6 Oct 1920

Caerphilly, Glamorganshire, Wales

Isaac Evans

Percival John Lebb

149

Percival J Lebb

Male

Widowed

13 May 1887

1939

Caerphilly, Glamorganshire, Wales

Coal Labourer (Underground)

23

22

1

XJGD

Caerphilly

593-2

Percival J Lebb 52 Ivy M(ay) Lebb 16

[Guest]

I did wonder about this one
John M Fitzpatrick born 1917 West Brom Staffs

[Gmelliottuk]

The criminal element above could possibly be the reason he changed his name, if it is one and the same person.

Still can't work out where the person annotating the 1939 register got the info to change Edith's name to Libb. Marriage in 1954 clearly has it as Fitzpatrick

[Gmelliottuk]

Also, where is Mervyn in 1939?

[GallowayLass]

Percival's father was called John Leb / Lebb b.c, 1831, a piano forte maker and cabinet maker from Vienna, Austria. He died in Caerphilly in 1916. Burial register gives his address as 13 Railway Terrace, Caerphilly. Image on ancestry.

John Leb

85

Burial

1831

abt 1916

15 Jul 1916

Caerphilly, Glamorganshire, Wales

96

[GallowayLass]

Still not finding any reason for the Fitzpatrick though.

[cbcarolyn]

his death record will have his age, where did he die?

[cbcarolyn]

there is this one, but different to the date of death you have, also with L maybe for Lebb

Mervyn John L Fitzpatrick

78

25 Oct 1921

May 2000

Doncaster

South Yorkshire

40A

0422

278

[GallowayLass]

County Durham's online marriage search shows he married as Mervyn J L Fitzpatrick. What's the betting that the L stands for Lebb?

[Guest]

I was thinking maybe he was in the army in 1939?

[Guest]

what do you make of this
New Zealand Ballot Lists World War 11 1940/1945

ignore this found other stuff so not him

the person on Ancestry has him in an army uniform, so probably the second world war.

[GallowayLass]

There is a tree on ancestry with an undated photo of Mervyn titled Mervyn in Africa. He is wearing what looks like a tropical army outfit. I thought he have been out there in WW2 so hence not on the 1939 Register but that can't be the reason for him not showing up as he was found guilty of receiving stolen petrol in 1940. If he was in the army, he must have joined up after his conviction. Here's the photo - I have covered his face. Can anybody recognise what he's wearing?

Mervyn in Africa.jpg