Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
I would like to share notes with anyone who is descended from this man (my great, great grandfather):
Born: Thomas Courtney, approx. 1845 in Bathgate (according to census records).
Married: As Thomas Courtney in 1865 to Janet Cunningham Arnot, in Bathgate.
Died: As Thomas Easton, in 1896, in Bathgate.
He changed his surname (as well as those of his wife and nine children) from Courtney to Easton in about 1890. Many of his descendents kept Courtney (or Courtenay) as a middle name. My son is Peter Courtenay Easton for example, maintaining the tradition. The reason why Thomas changed his surname has long been a subject of rumour and speculation. My father had a vague explanation which I now know not to be correct after spending almost a year studying the records. I have collated a lot of information on dates of birth/marriage/death for Thomas and his family but I'm still not sure why he chose to become an Easton. There may have been some doubt as to the identity of his father. When Thomas got married he gave his father's name as Peter Courtney but on his death record his father is given as Henry Easton. From extensive cross referencing I am 100% sure that Thomas Courtney and Thomas Easton were the same person. But why the name change? It is the most puzzling aspect of my family tree.
Can anyone help? Are there any Courtney Eastons struggling with the same dilemma? Any clues much appreciated.
P.S. I had e-mail contact with some of the contributors to the forum a couple of months ago but I've just moved from Belgium back to the UK and didn't have internet access for a while. Apologies for my silence. I will follow up on the information you kindly sent me.
Great forum, by the way!
Thomas Easton
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/easton/messages/789.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|