Name Changing ............

[AudreyF]

OK.

Bertha Christina Springall was born in St. Peter Walworth (21 Chatham Road) on 15th March 1889. Her father was William Springall an engineer journeyman. Her mother was Emily Springall. Bertha married Thomas James Fleming on 10th February 1910 in Lambeth. Her father's details were William Springall (deceased) a mechanical engineer - journeyman. Thomas said his father was William Millar Fleming a draper's traveller. Thomas was a bachelor aged 24 years old and a jeweller's salesman. Bertha was 21 years and a spinster. No occupation given for her. He lived in Clapham Park and she was at the Railway Hotel in Brixton.

Their first son was born on 29th March 1911 and named James William Hitchcock Fleming. Father's name confirmed as Thomas James Fleming an engine fitter.

Bertha is in the 1911 census in hospital with young James although he has another first name at the time so there was obviously a change of mind before his name was registered. There's no particular significance to this except that Hitchcock was added - obviously a nod to Thomas' roots. Thomas himself is in the 1911 census as Thomas James Fleming at home, on his own - day's after he became a father.

The First World War comes along and I presume Thomas James Fleming went to fight but I haven't been able to positively identify a service record or a death - under either Fleming or Hitchcock although I presume that as he married as a Fleming he would have continued with that name.

In 1923 - 12 years after her first child - Bertha has a son. (This gap suggests to me that she did not have a man around during those years) On 24th December 1923 my father-in-law is born in Camberwell and named Peter Charles Hawkins Fleming. His father registers the birth and says he is Charles Ernest Fleming a hotel butler. They live at 266 Croxted Road. Mother's name is given as Bertha Fleming, formerly Springall.

Bertha is in numerous London phone books at home and with her business (furniture) and is noted as B. C. Fleming (Mrs.) or B. C. Fleming or sometimes Bertha Fleming. Never any mention of Mr. Hawkins or Mr. Fleming. I've only just started to look at the electoral rolls but she seems to be there in various years and the ones I've looked at, to date, show a Charles Fleming or a Charles Hawkins. I've yet to do a detailed timeline of this.

Mother-in-law has been our only source of 'family folklore' saying Charles Fleming came from Aylesbury. She says he died in the Second World War when his son (Peter) was overseas but she knows no more. Bertha was, apparently, a very strong woman ("a bit of a girl") and owned several properties in London which she rented out. She lived in whichever one she fancied and moved frequently. I have some letters from her to Peter written just before she died and these back up the fact she owned several houses and rented them out. Her will left the properties to her son Peter and a very small sum of money to her first son (James), his wife and their daughter. It is clear from the letters that James and his wife were not her favourites - she seems to have adored her younger son, and he adored her.

Various addresses for Bertha are 93 Palace Road, 343 Norwood Road, 119 Palace Road, 266 Croxted Road and she never seemed to go far from her roots.

Thomas James Fleming was born Thomas James Hitchcock on 23rd October 1885 at 207 Stanhope Street in Pancras, Middlesex. His father was Thomas Hitchcock, his mother was Teresa Hitchcock formerly Kiernan. Father was a working jeweller. Thomas died at some point (probably after 1891 census) and Teresa (Theresa Grace) re-married on 1st February 1897. Theresa marrid William Millar Fleming. Both aged 29 years old, he was a bachelor and she was a widow. He was a commercial traveller of Kentish Town Road. Theresa gave no occupation but the same home address as William. William's father was James Fleming a draper, her father was Francis Kiernan (deceased) of independent means. William and Teresa appear in the 1901 census and have had other children. I believe the arrival of step-siblings led Thomas James to change his name and start using Fleming as a surname.

I hope this helps ............................

[MarkJ]

Yes, I've heard about calling yourself anything you like as long as there is no criminal intent but wouldn't an electoral form giving the right to vote qualify as something rather official? A person could be wangling multiple votes.

Electoral rolls are compiled from the information given. My own entry for example used to give my first name, middle name and surname. Over time, it gave my second name, my first name and surname... It now just gives my first name and surname.

*If* I had deliberately given my second name and then first name with an intention to also vote with my first name then second name, then I would have attepmted to commit fraud - which would be illegal. As it happens, it was just an incorrect form completion.