Middlename mystery

Maxie · Post by **Maxie** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:05 pm

Hi,

I wasn't sure where to put this query, hope that here is ok!

I have an Oliver Stewart in my tree born in 1865 in Aberdeen. His birth certificate shows his middle names as Hesse Roy, however there is an RCE (with the date 5th April 1866 at the bottom) changing his middle names to Charles Roy.

Oliver was the sixth of eight children all of whom had either Roy (a middle name passed down from their father and grandfather) or Thomson (mother's maiden surname) as their middle names - except Oliver.

I have wondered for a while why they chose Hesse as a middle name initially - I have found no trace of any german relatives so far - and why they then decided to change it to Charles. And also, why was he given two middle names and his siblings only one?

This has been bugging me for quite a while, so would appreciate it if anyone could shed any light on it! (unless of course it was jus a mistake, but I don't think it very likely that you could get Hesse and Charles mixed up!)

Thanks,
Maxie.

Post by **emanday** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 5:12 pm

Hi Maxie,

One of my grandmother's sisters has two middle names, one of which has never appeared anywhere else during my research. The rest of her siblings had recognizable traditional family names.

Someone on here did mention in a post that there were occasions where a child would be given the name of a respected non-family member as a middle name, for instance an employer, recently deceased very close friend and so on.

You could try looking a bit closer at witnesses on marriage certificates. Sometimes the mystery name could show up there. Maybe even a godparent at a baptism, but then your Oliver was born too late for OPR's.

Maybe the mystery person's name was Charles Hesse and the informant gave the wrong "part" of the name.

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 5:14 pm

Strangely the IGI gives a slightly different picture:

OLIVER HESSE RAY STEWART
Male
Birth: 13 FEB 1865 Old Machar, Aberdeen, Scotland
Father: ROBERT RAY STEWART
Mother: JANE THOMSON OR BRUCE
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record

As you say there is an RCE attached to the BC, have you read what that says about the situation? [by clicking the red button that 'should' be at the top of the page, if it's not there then contact SP].

However depending on different accents Charles and Hesse could be muddled up, especially as we are considering the Doric speaking area!

Maxie · Post by **Maxie** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:02 pm

Thanks for your replies!

I've had a look at the certificates for the family and can find no Charles or Hesse as witnesses.

From the RCE : "... for 'Hesse' substitute Charles ...". The changes were made on the authority of a certificate, in the form of schedule (D) under the hand of the Rev John Wilson, Minister of North Church, Aberdeen.

Wilma, the IGI tends to have Ray, while SP tends to have Roy, and most of the certificates have Roy. You might be right about the accents! Or like emanday says it could simply have been a mix up, but I always wondered if there was something more to it!

Thought I would google Charles and Hesse to find any notable people of the day - found an illegitimate son of Prince Fredrick, son of George III, a Captain Charles Hesse who died in a duel with Count Leon the son of Napoleon! And also a king of Finland who was born a few years after Oliver.

Thanks,

Maxie

Post by **emanday** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:29 pm

Once I get the bit between my teeth I just can't let go

Is there any possibility that this couple are related to you?

Oliver Charles Hesse married Helen Roy Stewart between July and September in 1862 City of London London .

The GRO reference is 1c 177 if you want to order the certificate.

Post by **emanday** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:50 pm

emanday wrote: Once I get the bit between my teeth I just can't let go

Still hangin in there

England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1983

Name: Helen R Hesse
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1827
Year of Registration: 1866
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
Age at Death: 39
District: Liverpool (1837-1934)
County: Lancashire
Volume: 8b
Page: 106

Name: Oliver Charles Hesse
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836
Year of Registration: 1869
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at Death: 33
District: Birkenhead (1861-1998)
County: Cheshire, Merseyside
Volume: 8a
Page: 335

Maxie · Post by **Maxie** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:55 pm

Wow

Thank you soo much!

Oliver's father Robert did have a sister called Helen Roy Stewart! She was born in 1826 so the marriage and death that you found fit perfectly!!

Well I will definitely be ordering those certificates - a mystery solved

Thanks again for your help,

Maxie.

Post by **emanday** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:01 pm

I'm so pleased it looks like your folks - my teeth were gettin sore

Now I'll go and make my dinner - I'm starving

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:05 pm

Mary

Great detective work

Well done you

Best wishes
Jean

Post by **emanday** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:12 pm

I've got a theory now about why the name was changed - A wee story...

Dad gets told to register the wee lad - his instructions are

Give him Helen's husband's first and second name and then Helen's middle name (family traditional name)

Dad gets in front of the registrar and names his son Oliver Hesse Roy Stewart because he doesn't know Oliver Hesse's second name is Charles and thinks they meant HESSE (for second name read surname).

Back to peeling the tatties