Bettles-Hall

[Alasdair Hall]

Greetings. This is my first posting, and by the little reading of done so far on these forums you sound a very helpful and friendly bunch :-). I am a New Zealander, but have lived in the UK for the last 20 years. My father was English and left for NZ in 1928 as a fourteen year old military-orphan. Regretfully he lost contact with his family and one of the reasons for me coming here was to see if I could find them. Well the good news is I did. I re-united him with his sister in 1989; they had been lost since waving goodbye to each other 61 years earlier at Southampton Docks!
Where I am now is trying to discover the origins of the family name Bettles-Hall. Can any-one help?
The earliest I have is my great-grandfather whose discharge documents from the Royal Marines in1906 has him as Joseph Bettles Hall. However it is vague as to whether the Bettles is a second christian name, or part of the surname. He signs himself J B Hall. His birthdate is given as 11 June 1866, at Northampton, with his father's name being John, and his mother's Mary. The BMD registers using those details have not found him. Any suggestions?

[Marilyn P]

Perhaps Bettles was his mothers or grandmothers maiden name.
Possibly he added it later in his life.
Perhaps his parents married after he was born, and Mr Hall was his stepfather

In the 1881 census living at Market St, Northampton are
John Hall age 30 brickmaker born Newcastle on Tyne, his wife
Mary A. age 36 born Holcot, Northants, and son
Joseph age 14, brickmaker born Northampton

Found a possible marriage in Free BMB, Mar quarter of 1881
John Christopher HALL to Mary Ann BETTLES

others on the same page are Thomas Williams and Temperence Elizabeth Luck.

I think if this was my family I would go for the marriage certificate first. Perhaps Mary Ann was a widow, and had been married to a Beeby.

Marilyn

[Alasdair Hall]

Hi Marilyn, and thanks for your reply.
When I first posted this message I put it in three forums: Intoduce Yourself, Northampton, and Royal Navy/Marines.
I instantly got a reply in the Intoduce Forum and it's there that the thread has come to some success of conclusion, but not total yet!
Your suggestions are/were helpful and should you be interested please have a look at the current situation in the Introduce Yourself thread, Bettles-Hall, originally dated 16th November.
Cheers, Alasdair.