Dual personality?

[ozgirl]

This is to do with one of my Dutch lines - I have seen all the original records for the family as they are all on line. Dutch records also give more info, so the mothers name is on all records, including her maiden name. I just wonder if anyone can give any reasons .

In 1828 Nicolaas Hulsbos married Maria Catharina Barbara Olijslagers in Budel, North Brabant. She was known as Barbara.

Between 1829 and 1837 Nicolaas and Barbara had 6 children, one of whom died young. Then in 1841 there is an entry for the birth of a daughter, Petronella, to Nicolaas and Isabella Olijslagers. (isabella is the same age as Barbara). In 1843 Nicolaas and Barbara have another daughter, then 2 stillborn children ,one in 1845 and one in 1847.

In the population register of 1850, Nicolaas and Isabella are together with all the children, Next sighting in 1860, at the weddings of two of her sons, and it is back to Barbara. Nicolaas died in 1861 leaving a widow Isabella, and in the Population register that year, Barbara, now the head of household is with all her unmarried children.

From then on she seems to remain Barbara up to and including her death, apart from the marriage of Petronella (in another town) and Petronella's death in 1921 when she is Isabella.

Confused yet?

Would you think that this is the same person? She is on a number of online trees, but none of them address the Isabella problem. All theories gratefully accepted.

If anyone does want to look at any records they are all on the Openarch website (free), which can be translated into English. All names can be spelled various ways.

Thanks Linda

[Anne in Carlisle]

Hmmm, that's a tricky one. Up to the point where you said that she was Isabella in Petronella's records I would have said is was probably the same person using an alternative name. But ...... not sure it all adds up with the Petronella problem.

Not much help, sorry
Anne

[kylejustin]

I wouldn't be worried if they were interchangeable names, isabella and elizabeth for example. But it is odd all petronella's records have her as isabella. Perhaps she picked up an extra name over the years? Any religious or cultural reason for that?

[Caroline]

My great x2 grandmother was baptised Celia Ann Andrews.
She was known as Ann on the censuses and at her marriage and then her father called her Elizabeth Cecilia Ann in his will and she was Celia Elizabeth Ann Gillett in her own will.
Her mother was Elizabeth so did it get tacked on to her own name at some point?

If she was officially one name but known as Isabella as a pet name in the family?

Perhaps two families/households???

[ozgirl]

I had a little lightbulb moment last night - to get married the couple had to provide details of their births and also the status of their parents. Therefore when the records were filled in for Petronella's marriage, they also had a letter giving the details of her birth from Budel, which of course gave her mother's name as Isabella, so that was the name that went into the records. FamilySearch has all these records, however not indexed so it was a matter of trawling. Amongst the ones for Petronella, due to the fact that her father had died, the names of her supporters were given as 2 of her brothers, who match with ones from Nicolaas and Barbara. Therefore I think that Barbara and Isabella are the same person.

I'm not sure how literate Barbara was, and whether someone else filled in forms for her occasionally and was confused about her name. Sort of a Trigger and Rodney/Dave situation!

Thanks for your ideas, made me look at it differently .

[Caroline]

I had a little lightbulb moment last night - to get married the couple had to provide details of their births and also the status of their parents. Therefore when the records were filled in for Petronella's marriage, they also had a letter giving the details of her birth from Budel, which of course gave her mother's name as Isabella, so that was the name that went into the records. FamilySearch has all these records, however not indexed so it was a matter of trawling. Amongst the ones for Petronella, due to the fact that her father had died, the names of her supporters were given as 2 of her brothers, who match with ones from Nicolaas and Barbara. Therefore I think that Barbara and Isabella are the same person.

I'm not sure how literate Barbara was, and whether someone else filled in forms for her occasionally and was confused about her name. Sort of a Trigger and Rodney/Dave situation!

Thanks for your ideas, made me look at it differently .

That makes sense - my Scottish great great grandmother has her oldest brother's details as her father at her marriage - their father had died when she was a baby and presumably he brought her up.