is William Mack William Macklin

[Germaine]

It’s a bit complicated as I think my grandfather must have changed his name. I was always told he was a mystery and if what I have found is him then I can understand why. He never spoke of his family only that he came from Livepool and died in 1925 when my mum was 16.
When he married in Fleetwood Lancashire 1908 he was William Mack born c 1880 father Patrick a cabinet maker. Now after years of searching there is nothing at all (apart from recently finding a sailor in Liverpool on some ships lists.) GRO have done a search for me and they can’t find anything fitting those details either. He appears on the 1911 census as being born Liverpool but his age is unreadable apart from it ending in a 3 it could 23/33 or something 3 altered to hide his real age?. I have not been able to find him on any other census.
This week I have found a William John Macklin born 1866 though many records have 1868/9. This William is a bit of a lad in n out of prison and institutions from 1878. This William seems to have arrived in Fleetwood in about 1888 and was still in the area in 1906 after this I can’t find him. I have him on 1881 and 1901 census. I found that he was discharged from the Militia in 1888 this is when I think he came to Fleetwood I have found someone in Fleetwood in 1891 that I am not convinced about a William Noah born c 1872 said to be born in Droitwhich this could be the informer giving that as the family he was lodging with being from there. But I have looked at again can’t find anyone of this name anywhere. I am wondering was this bad writing and the name actually Mack.
So I wonder did William John Macklin change his name to William Mack when he married (William Mack did name his first son William John ) . It does seem strange that William Macklin was here till 1906 and then no sign of him but 2 year later William Mack appears. What are your thought on this am I on the right track or should I give up.
The census I am confused with are 1891 is William Noah Bk Preston St. Fleetwood Lancashire .
1911 William Mack Blakiston St. Fleetwood Lancashire.
Hope you all can understand this I am not very good at explaining things.
Thanks for reading Germaine

[Lesley Robertson]

That's a big gap between the age on his marriage cert (b. abt 1880) and Macklin (b. abt 1866)...

I see that you've added an alternative to the Ancestry 1911 to adjust for his age on his death cert (from b 1888 to b 1879). I must admit that I've usually found data given when the person was alive is closer to reality than that given by children or grandchildren, but many people were not that accurate on census returns. If he gave that birth date twice - marriage cert and census - you have to consider that it might be correct.
I see that there's 2 Lancashire William Macks b in 1889...

The 1891 census shows a William Mack aged 1, parents Patrick & Ann living in Liverpool, sisters Ann & Mary.

[Megan Roberts]

Do you have his marriage certificate from 1908? If so what does it say about his father's name and occupation? If the answers to that are consistent with the 1891 census entry that Lesley has found, then that points to him being younger than you thought, which could well be true if he was under 21 when he married, as he would have needed parental consent.

If you don't have his marriage certificate then you must get it to help solve the mystery.

[Germaine]

Thanks Lesley I see what you mean but even my granny told lies on census and marriage ( it only went correct when my mum got her birth cert. from Ireland) so really don't know what to believe. He had told his family he was born c 1880 which was on his death cert but then they would have been supplying the info. He said he was born in Liverpool but nothing every Mack I have checked out in Liverpool had shortened their name at sometime and wasn't actually Mack. I am thinking if he had been fibbing about his age to his wife he may have thought he would have to do it on the census but as you can see even that was out. I did change it to 1879 as that was all i had and really thought it was right but now am wondering. Where did William Macklin go and where was William Mack before 1908.Its a mystery :-) my Dad always said he was a mystery and he is proving so. I am sure I have checked the 2 out but will check again. I did get cert for one born 1879/80 but that was wrong if i had looked further would have found that child had died. It was just that it struck me that on the 1911 census if the scribble of 2/3 had been started as a 4 making him 43 that would match what William Mackling had been giving as his age on most things. Think I might be clutching at straws here lol. Thanks for your thought will keep rooting.

[Germaine]

Hi Megan thanks yes I do have his marriage and there is nothing at all on any census . He gave his father as Patrick Mack a cabinet maker. I haven't been able to find a Patrick with a son William anywhere in the country . Also GRO did look and couldn't find a William with a father Patrick in a search 3 year either side of 1880. I see what you mean about the age. The one in Liverpool with a father Patrick wasn't actually a Mack he was a Mackie. They certainly didn't make it easy did they lol thanks again

[gasser]

FYI .....An earlier thread was started here....https://www.british-genealogy.com/th...1880-Liverpool

[thewideeyedowl]

Gambling on 1880 as the birth year, I ran a check on FreeBMD for William M*ck/Any district/Any place and got 44 results. Four of these were for the surname McCormack in some form or other, and two of these were born in Liverpool:

McCormack, William John/ Jun 1880/W Derby/ Vol 8b, p322
Mccormick, William George/ Sep 1880/Liverpool/Vol 8b, p86

These look like Irish names to me. Did 'William Mack' perhaps want to distance himself from an Irish background? Also, of course, 'Mack' is much easier to spell.

Owl

[Germaine]

Thanks Gasser I have asked about him before . I started another thread as this has different ideas to last one. We came to a brick wall with the last one. I thought it might be easier and less confusing if I started another with the new info.
Thanks Owl yes I agree with the shortening the name. I think I must have checked out every William Mc? born in Liverpool over the last 12 years.
I am thinking he wanted to distance himself from William Macklin but can't find any proof. And it seems strange this William Macklin although in n out of prison always came back to Fleetwood. But after the last one in 1906 I can't find him there is no sign of him on 1911.
I think I have checked every William with a father called Patrick and come to standstills.
It all seems very coincidental but nothing concrete . On thing I did notice was he did seem to be in the same area of Fleetwood but then it was a small town and all the Irish seemed to be in that area. I don't have an address for him till he married but witness' at his prosecutions all lived in that same street. Again could be all coincidence and maybe me clutching at straws as its the nearest I have found to a Mack in Fleetwood. Our family where the only Mack family in fleetwood then.
Sorry to ramble on but am trying to make sense of it.
Thanks again everyone.