Registered under a pet name?

[David Annis]

After reading Peter Goody's thread and listening to the talk given at Kew, I put the suggestions for finding lost ancesters to the test.
I have been looking for a Frances/Francis, born 1871.Worcestershire
In the 1901 census John Thomas and Francis are living in Corelely in the district of Cleobury Mortimer. Shropshire.
In 1908 Thomas marries again and is described on the wedding certificate as being a widower.
Search as I may I could not find any mention of Francis/Frances death. I took on board what was said in the talk.
It has produced a marriage between John Thomas and Frances Ward, 1891 in
Ludlow. But still no death of a Francis/Frances
So I put in all the little tricks and came up with the perfect match.
Fanny Thomas. Born about 1871.
Registration 1906
District. Cleobury Mortimer.
I checked for Fanny Ward on the census's only finding one and not from this area or being born in Worcestershire.
Is it possible or is it known for someone to be burried under a pet name, maybe John Thomas or the family called Francis, "Fanny" and the name stuck and she carried it to the grave.
Any thoughts.
Cheers.
Dave

[Peter Goodey]

There wouldn't have been much to stop it happening back in genealogical times. It probably became less likely after the NHS came into being because a doctor certifying death would use the name shown on his official records.

In fact I only cracked one weird family mystery because the man's death was registered under his birth name and not under the name of his deceased brother that he had used practically all his life. :D

[pipsqueak]

Fanny was a common abbreviation of Frances and I have found it on census entries. I still think that the answer a person gave when filling in a census form or registering a death depends on what the question was. For example:

Q: "What is her full name?" A: Frances Ward
or
Q: "What was she called?" A: Fanny Ward
or
Q: "By what name was the deceased known?" A: Fanny Ward
or
Q: "Name?" A: Fanny or Frances or [insert hitherto unknown nickname or middle name]!