Family Name Mystery! Advice welcome.

[pawleyne]

Have you sent off for that marriage certificate? If not, it'd be worth getting it from the local Register Office rather than the GRO, so you get the original signatures; then you can compare the signatures with other documents signed by them.

Having had loads of help from you all I thought I would update you.

The marriage certificate shows Lillie Houghton's address as 31 Westmoreland Road, Kirkdale and her father as William A Houghton. So she must be Arthur's sister.

Using the 1911 census I can find Arthur and Lily living in Aldershot with my grandfather aged 7.

His father, William is still living in Kirkdale with Anna, one of her daughters and her daughter's husband and their two children plus another grandchild.

I can also find David Newton, still living in the Liverpool area. He states he's 'married' but he's living with his sister, brother in law and their children. No sign of his Lillie in the house, nor can I find her anywhere else!

My Aunt has given me a death certificate for Lily Houghton, which gives not further information other than 'previously known as Newton' but I guess its normal for married women to have their maiden names listed.

Oh the 1911 census gives me a place of birth for Lily, which is Liverpool but I can't locate an entry in the birth indexes.

[Margaret in Burton]

Having had loads of help from you all I thought I would update you.

The marriage certificate shows Lillie Houghton's address as 31 Westmoreland Road, Kirkdale and her father as William A Houghton. So she must be Arthur's sister.

Using the 1911 census I can find Arthur and Lily living in Aldershot with my grandfather aged 7.

His father, William is still living in Kirkdale with Anna, one of her daughters and her daughter's husband and their two children plus another grandchild.

I can also find David Newton, still living in the Liverpool area. He states he's 'married' but he's living with his sister, brother in law and their children. No sign of his Lillie in the house, nor can I find her anywhere else!

My Aunt has given me a death certificate for Lily Houghton, which gives not further information other than 'previously known as Newton' but I guess its normal for married women to have their maiden names listed.

Oh the 1911 census gives me a place of birth for Lily, which is Liverpool but I can't locate an entry in the birth indexes.

Actually no.

I think it was highly unusual.

When did she die, I can't remember when they started putting maiden names on death certs but it wasn't all that long ago.

[pawleyne]

It was in 1955.

The certificate given to me is hand written and doesn't have that comment but I'm assured by my mum and dad that my aunt's copy does. Aunt and dad are conviced their grandparents did get married but my mum and I really doubt it.

[Olde Crone Holden]

"Previously known as" on a death cert mans exactly that - previously known as. It's an alias, not a maiden name.

As Margaret says, it is extremely unusual to have such a comment on a death cert and women's maiden names were not on death certs in 1955.

I think this couple used Lillie's marriage cert to claim married allowance from the army. the couple were known as Newton (wrongly) but were really Houghton, hence "previously known as".

OC

[lozza]

Just been reading through this, very interesting, It's great seeing everyones stories and I love the fact that everyone is so helpful here!

[Tralena]

My aunt is well aware copies can be bought as she's asked me to purchase a copy of my grandfathers birth certificate for her. She would also like a copy of Arthur and Lily's marriage certificate as well. I would assume therefore she's expecting there to be one.

I don't think she's attempting to hide a secret as she has documents for my grandmothers family as well that I haven't seen. She's sent a few copies but nothing that's been usefull.

I feel this is a little unfair....your Auntie wants your help, but she doesn't seem to be very forth coming with helping you by sharing the information on some of the certificates that are in her care. Who knows what information they could contain to help you up your tree.

Has she ever explained why she don't want you to see or have copies of them?

Good luck with your research....I'm sure with the help from all the wonderful people on FTF, your questions will be answered.