Name Change when joining - Royal Engineers

[sally2154]

Hi all,

Just after your thoughts.... My g grandfather, James Smith (not great name for research), joined the Royal Engineers in 1878. I have his Chelsea Pensioner records.

I have had great trouble finding this man before he joined the army. There is enough detail in his records that should help me to identify him, but I cannot find a single trace.

All of my research points to him being born under a different name - Lewis Goldsmith. The case is circumstantial but very strong. I have looked into the obvious reason for a name change - trouble with the law - but there is nothing relevant reported in any local or national papers under Lewis Goldsmith.... although there was a big fraud/robbery case involving someone of that name, but there was enough information to determine that it wasn't my ancestor who was involved.

Why would someone change their name upon joining the army? I have heard of lying about age, but not name. I have one vague theory - although he doesn't appear to be Jewish, the name Lewis Goldsmith sounds as though it could be... Does anyone know if there was discrimination against Jewish men joining the army?

Any other theories?

Thanks!!

[Peter Goodey]

I can see three men answering that description in WO79. Which one was yours?

Have you got all the relevant BMD certificates?

[Lesley Robertson]

Some people seem to have taken the chance to dump a name they didn't like (eg I have a guy called Abraham in all civilian records, who joined up with his middle name, Frank - didn't make the connection until a family member replied to a query).
There's also a number of accounts of people changing their names to make themselves sound more British.

[christanel]

All of my research points to him being born under a different name - Lewis Goldsmith. The case is circumstantial but very strong. I have looked into the obvious reason for a name change - trouble with the law - but there is nothing relevant reported in any local or national papers under Lewis Goldsmith.... although there was a big fraud/robbery case involving someone of that name, but there was enough information to determine that it wasn't my ancestor who was involved.

Where the two Lewis Goldsmiths living in the same area? Have you tried to follow the one involved in the fraud case. If they were known to each other (relatives) then your Lewis may have wanted to disassociate himself from the name in order to enlist.
My father's birth father enlisted prior to WW1 under his own name but got in to strive in Ireland and was probably dismissed from the army. He joined up under his mother's maiden name in WW1 and promptly went AWOL then joined up again under a name he 'borrowed.'

According to this article Britain was actively encouraging Jews to join the British forces

Christina

[sally2154]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your interest... My great grandfather was James Smith, regimental number #14918. His attestation papers say he was born in the town of "Harwich Green" in the parish of "Tunbridge Wells". There is no such place as Harwich Green, but there is an Eridge Green and the pronounciation would be similar so my search has centered around the Eridge Green/Rotherfield parishes. There are no good candidates named James Smith born in the area and I have ordered many birth certificates that have proved incorrect after looking at the father's name and occupations. I also cannot locate the correct James Smith in the 1871 or 1861 census - several candidates were discounted after tracing them through to the 1881 census, at which time I know that James was in the army and is on the census at Aldershot.

I have my great grandfather's Marriage and Death certificates, and I know that his army papers are certainly correct as it mentions his marriage to my great grandmother Jane Callingham. His death certificate names him "James Lewis Smith" - the first official reference to the name of Lewis. According to my dad's cousin, the family knew him as him "Lewis" and there had been some long standing talk within the family that our name was once Goldsmith, not Smith.

I located Lewis Goldsmith in the parish records for Eridge Green and ordered his birth certificate - every detail fits with what I know of James Smith - father's name, occupation, and place of birth. And this man Lewis cannot be traced via census or death records post 1871.

The final part of the puzzle - James joined the Royal Engineers on the day that Lewis Goldsmith was exactly 17 1/2 years old - he was born 22nd September 1860 and James Smith joined up on 22nd March 1878. On his attestation papers James says he is 19 1/2 so he bumped it up by two years! But I had thought, given the other evidence, that it may be more than mere coincidence.

But why he would change his name is a mystery. It could be as simple as he didn't like his name, as Lesley Robertson suggested, and took the opportunity to change it. Any thoughts would be appreciated!!

[sally2154]

Thanks for the info Christina, that was very interesting. I didn't know that Jewish Soldiers were actively encouraged during WW1. I wonder whether the situation was any different in the 1870's? Will have to do some more research.

The Lewis Goldsmith who I found in the newspapers seems to have no family connection with the Lewis Goldsmith I am interested in - he and some siblings, including his brother Michael, were involved in the case and none of the names were connected with the family or can be found in the local records. It was called "The Great Jewellery Fraud" and took place in London - it was quite a big case by the looks of things. It happened when my Lewis was about 12 years old - so by the time he joined the army, it would have all died down and I can't see that it would have prompted his name change. It certainly would have been nice to find a neat explanation for his name change!!

Sally.