Genealogy Chat

Have just got the marriage cert of gg grandparents, Hezekiah Harvey & Leah Greenaway in Bedwelty in 1867. Have researched Hezekiah's family way back and the ages/dates/fathers name I have from other sources fit in with the info on the cert. Didnot know so much about Leah, but she was 2 years older than him according to all the census returns I have seen and this ties in with the cert, and her father is down as Henry Greenaway - so far so good. Problem is, I have the birth certificate of their daughter my g-grandmother, and mother is down as Leah Harvey, formerly Edwards. No mention of Greeenaway!!! But I am pretty sure this is the right certificate too!!! I think she is the same person- but why the different name? I don't think she was married twice or a widow as her marriage cert lists her as a spinster. Any ideas as to her dual identity- and how on earth do I go further back with this line if I do not know the true name? All ideas gratefully received!!!

Perhaps her mother remarried and one of the names was her stepfather's? Heather

I recently received a marriage cert which showed my GGMx2 as a spinster and I know for a fact she was previously married as I have that cert too. Did your GGM sign or make a mark? It could be that she regarded herself as a spinster even though she was a widow. It is certainly one line worth looking at - i.e. for a previous marriage between a Greenaway and an Edwards.

Thanks to you both. I have tried to find a Greenaway/ Edwards marriage, no luck. I have also looked for the record of her birth, would have been around 1841 so just inside the date for civil registration, but nothing for either surname. I did not think that Leah was that common a name, but there does not seem to be any match for around that date. If she had a father and a stepfather, would she not have had to stick to one surname, not to interchange them as & when she liked? She did sign with an X by the way- but surely she would still know if she was a spinster or widow?

Well, my GGMx2 must have known too, particularly as she took two kids with her when she married, still both in her husband's name but I just imagine she wasnt the sharpest knife in the drawer and wouldnt have seen a written mistake. On the same cert my GGFx2 signed with a mark and his name was mispelt, once again if he couldnt read, he wouldnt be aware of the mistake.

If you are using FreeBMD for the birth Ann, the coverage is scarce for that period. You could check 1837 online to be sure Sam

The Christian names used sound Jewish to me, and sometimes they anglicised their original surnames to something more English sounding, not sure if that helps matters for you or not though. Val

How about this one Greenaway - Deliah - 1843 - September - Births -Abergavenny Herefordshire Monmouthshire Shortened to Leah maybe? Although I appreciate it should have been the full name on the marriage cert, but if she had always been called Liah/Leah, and couldn't write.......

Hezekiah's family were Cof E from way back, he was from Somerset. I think those old testament names were just popular then. Leah was born in Cardiff according to the census info, and was brought up Welsh /English speaking, so imagine she was from a Welsh family, so if any Jewish origins they must have gone pretty far back. Again, I think it was just the names popular at the time.

Smiley- Thanks, had not actually thought of Leah as Delilah! She was supposedly from Cardiff but it is worth checking out all the same.

Only one L Ann :) Not Delilah, but Deliah as in ''Delia Smith'' ;) An obvious abbreviation seems to be Leah Sam Just to add to your confusion, sorry Edwards, Amelia - 1842 - June - Births - Cardiff (1837-1974) Glamorgan Monmouthshire Also could be Leah

Oops!! Sorry Smiley, mis-read for a moment there. Amelia is interesting, as that was also the name of one of her daughters!!! But why would she be registered as Edwards at birth, but Greenaway at her marriage- especially as she gives her father's name as Greenaway? father/stepfather thing again perhaps? Oh dear my head is hurting!!!

Occasionally, people have aliases. These may be down to illegitimacy and can go back several generations. With luck, there are records somewhere which say 'Edwards alias Greenaway' but families in these circumstances use whatever name takes their fancy on the day. I don't know if this practice is common in Wales, or whether it is the explanation in your family.

Brenda, Thanks, I am beginning to think she was illegitimate, and maybe registered under her mothers name but used her fathers name at her wedding- perhaps he was actually there and she wanted to have the names matching on the certs. It all seems confusing for her descendants, but was it actually legal to use a different surname on a document like that? Incidentally she did not sign her own name but her husband did, so presumably he was literate and would have known what was on the certificate.