Change Of Name

[Roymontrose]

Hi all,

Does anyone know when the ability to change your name by deed poll was introduced?

Was there any other way you could change your name if you wanted to?

I've been in contact with a lady in the U.S.A. who has a Frederick Montrose in her family tree who was born in Liverpool in the mid 1800's. After contacting her she informs me that Frederick's birth name was Murphy but when he emigrated to the U.S.A. he changed his surname to Montrose!!! Was it possible to just change your name when and as you wanted too? I would have thought that even entering the U.S. as an immigrant that documentation would have been required?

If anyone has any information or views I would appreciate it,

regards,

Roy Montrose

[MaryA]

In England it was enough just to start using a new name, we've had many instances of this when somebody just wanted to get lost.

But I can give you two instances of name changes going to America.

Robert Parle, born in England but lived most of his childhood in Ireland, travelled on the SS Belgelenland in 1899. Family stories say that it was probably his accent that made the Emigration Department write his surname as PEARLE, and that's how he remained for the rest of his life. It would seem from that that documentation wasn't required as proof.

Robert's brother, John Aloysius Parle with a similar background - ie English, brought up in Ireland, also went to America but his date of arrival isn't known since his sailing hasn't been found. Also unknown is when he changed his name to Jack Sullivan, this might have been when sailing or on arrival, but confirmed by letters he subsequently wrote to his sister here in Liverpool, and because of this he was found in a census. We believe this to be him because of his wife's details and the place they lived.

What is curious is that we have his National Insurance details which tie in with the details on his obituary, in this false name and also with exactly one year different in his birth date.

The changes are believed to be because he wanted to hide from "a bit of trouble" but it seems that there was no problem in doing so and his new name and age were both accepted by the authorities without any evidence.

[Roymontrose]

Hi Mary,

Thanks for your reply. As you may have gathered I'm having another 'crack' at my Montrose Family by trying to find out if the name has been changed from something else.

Seems like another needle in a haystack job. In addition to the Montrose Surname in the U.S.A I've found a Montrose link in Manchester which is a lot nearer home but alas I've also drawn a blank there. The Montroses' in Manchester where originally named Skin and were a Family of Jewellers from a town called Silsbury. At some point in the 1800's they moved to Manchester and changed their name to Montrose because it sounded more buisiness like than Skin!

Onward and Upwards, I'll keep trying,

Regards,

Roy Montrose

[MaryA]

Our ancestors didn't make it easy for us did they? I believe I've heard that before