Different surname to Father.

Can anyone tell me why a male would have a different name to their father.
So I have someone born in 1840 and on their marriage certificate Father is listed and the surname is different.
I have looked at Census and all the other children have the fathers surname as does the mother. It’s just the one child whose surname is different.
Can anyone help?
Thanks.

 

Hi, Sally-Ann. Was this an oldest or youngest sibling? If he's the eldest, the mother may have had an earlier marriage. I've also seen, on rare occasions, where some person with influence over the parents insisted on a child having a different surname to prevent a line from going "extinct." As Jan says, there are a variety of possible reasons.

 

I have similar where the Father pivoted between Edward & Edwin, another where the Father was given the son's name. possibly an error on the part of the clergy or the chap remembered the brother as being more of a father to him.
Clergy may have also remembered the name from a previous wedding if it had been a busy day, if the bridal pair were illiterate- who would know?

Is it possible the mother married again? have you seen Baptism records?

 

Hi Jan,

William Hesketh born 1841, married Elizabeth Craven in 1869, that’s where the father states as Richard Wilson.
William has younger siblings with the surname Wilson. I’m unable to find a marriage with Hesketh and Wilson.
Thank you

 

As you say, William's surname is Wilson in the 1841 census at Layton. Hmm.

 

Have you also checked the GRO to see how his mother is registered?

Marriages Mar 1869
CRAVEN Elizabeth Fylde 8e 755
Hesketh William

Is this the chap?
WILSON, WILLIAM -
GRO Reference: 1841 M Quarter in THE FYLDE UNION LANCASHIRE Volume 21 Page 393
Mother not recorded.

 

No he’s still down as Hesketh in the census and stated as Son

 

Perhaps he had reasons for not being identified as the Father's son. An argument- 'some people say their parent is deceased' - or perhaps a police record.
How does he follow up on censuses?

 

Apologies, Sally-Ann... I'm looking at the 1851 at Layton, not '41.

 

Sorry I’ve found him in the 1861 census, haven’t found him before. From another persons family tree I’ve seen they have a William Wilson born in 1840, I don’t know if same person.
I love this puzzle.

 

He soon marries, need to find earlier censuses and a birth with mother recorded.

 

No he’s william Hesketh, father is a Wilson

 

There's a William Hesketh b. 1840 living in Golden Hill, Leyland in 1841.
HO107, piece 526, book 13, folio 45, pg 2.

Is this William with his natural parents?

1851 census gives his place of birth as Leyland.

 

Yeah I’ve found that one too, but as the fathers name doesn’t match that from the marriage certificate I don’t know. I suppose there could be a chance that both natural parents died?

 

That's what I was thinking. Strange that William should be from Leyland and both Richard and Betty are from Blackpool area.

 

There's a baptism for a William Hesketh, mother Ann, a 'singlewoman' in Leyland, 1840.

(GRO ref for that is likely to be 1840 Q1 Chorley 21 378).

Still digging.

 

Ok thanks, I’ll go looking for deaths then of potential parents and see what I can find.