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Archiver > BK > 2006-03 > 1143333845


From: "John" <>
Subject: Re: [BK] Alternate names in indexes
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 19:44:05 -0500
In-Reply-To: <009b01c65064$665d9ac0$0d01a8c0@y7r6l5>


But like I said, no matter how many times a name is changed, its still an alias, unless that name is legally
changed in a court of law. Then you start to run into issues. In your example, your gggfather changing his
name, for whatever reason, his 'new' name is still an alias. I have one branch of my family that changed their
surname after committing a murder 5 generations ago. The man that committed the murder ran for the hills
and changed his name. He than married, bought land, had a will, and died living under an alias. But it was
still an alias. His 'new' children have a legally-binding name. They were born, registered, documented,
whatever, but that is their name and has been since.. Do you track married women in your database with their
maiden names or by their married name? Because in your example, that would mean now you'd have to
have both a woman's maiden and married names in the index. And then were would you stop? My gggfather
both emigrated and immigrated four different times in his live. In each different country, his name was
changed to follow local custom or ease of use to some over-worked paperpusher. I still track him by his birth
name. That is who he was, despite numerous name changes (aliases).

john

On 26 Mar 2006 at 9:32, Margaret Greer wrote:

>
> John said:
> ... In the example given, John Paul Jones, is still John Paul
> Jones. It doesn't matter how many names he is know by. If your wish is to record

<message sniped>
>
> I cannot agree completely. It is only until some time in the 20th century that names had to be
> 'proved' by producing birth registration or whatever. Even in the 1970s, one could open a
> perfectly legal bank account in any name. My great great grandfather changed his name when
> he arrived in Australia, and was thereafter only known by that name, on legal documents like
> wills, marriage certificates and everywhere else. It was not really an alias, just a change of name
> before there were lawsgoverning these things. Yet when I want to search for his ancestors, I
> have to search for the name he stopped using. So I would like to be able to have both names in
> indexes. This is all explained in detail in the Other Name field and Notes.
>
> Speaking of 'doing a disservice to those who follow behind', we will not be helping them if they
> cannot find people because they have onlyheard ofthem by the latter name, and not by the birth
> name.
> Surely it is more useful if BOTH names appear in indexes to our work. I know there is a big
> problem with alternative spellings, and the MANY people who only used their middle name or a
> contracted given name. That is a slightly different issue.
>
> Margaret's 2 cents worth


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