Genealogy Chat

Hi,

I've heard some information that my family (on Mother's side) changed their surname from ? to Robinson sometime in the 1800's. Where would I go to possibly find out the details? The family was centred around Banbury Oxon.

Welcome to the Boards Francis -

People can use whatever name they want, as long as it isn't for fraudulent purposes - they may not have bothered with a legal route.

You could search annoucements in the papers to see if there is one that say something along the line of "John Smith now wishes to be known as John Robinson" but it's a bit of a long shot.

The best bet might be to track back on census from Robinson, and then use the first names only to see if you can pick them up with a different surname.

It could be that a male changed his surname on marriage to that of his wife, possibly for inheritance purposes, or even to avoid prosecution or debts. Or one of them may have been brought up believing they were the child of xx Robinson but were told as an adult that either they were illigitimate and took their mother's maiden name, or that of their biological father if she was a widow when she married Mr Robinson

Thank you for your response..

Looks as if it is going to be a 'needle in a haystack' kind of job to find out, unless someone in the family has more info.
I may have to see if there are any newspaper records for back then.
Most of the direct family are here in Australia, only a small part is now in the UK.
I have an aunt going back to see her brother shortly, maybe she can find out some more about it. She was the one who first told us about the name change, but not much detail.

Hi there Francis - care to give us some information on the family?

this is a message I had from Francis

I'm not sure whether the scant information I have will help. I can only go back as far as my great grandparents - they were Davis Robinson and Alice Tustain. He was born in 1884 and Alice in 1883. My mum could tell me that her mother was also Alice. They apparently had 7 children, my grandfather George Own was born in 1904, the other children were James Alfred, Violet Emily, David, Alice and Eileen Pearl are 6 of them, the seventh was known by my mum as Aunt Millie. Apparently my mum was talking about one of the aunts to her younger sister, saying that Auntie Pearl was really Auntie Eileen when her sister Joan said that their Aunt Alice (their father's sister) had told her that the family were not always known as Robinson, there had been a name change earlier, and that the family was Jewish. Unfortunately there is no detail, as in previous name or date when changed. Plus no corroborative evidence from other family members. The family was based in the Banbury, Oxfordshire region. My mum's elder brother still lives there. As to other relatives, my mum has some sketchy knowledge of her cousins etc. My parents moved to Australia in 1966, and most of her family followed after my grandfather's passing away in 1967.
That's all I have I'm afraid.

should that be David not Davis?

always respond on here rather than by message Francis - then everyone can see :-)

???????????????

Name: David Robinson
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 31 Mar 1901
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Birthplace: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Banbury
Sub-District: Banbury
Ecclesiastical Parish: St Banbury Christ Church
Civil Parish: Neithrop
District/Parish/County: Oxfordshire

?????????

Name: Alice Tustain
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 31 Mar 1901
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
Birthplace: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Banbury
Sub-District: Banbury
Ecclesiastical Parish: St Marys Banbury And St Pauls Neithrop
Civil Parish: Neithrop
District/Parish/County: Oxfordshire

Name: Violet Emily Robinson
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Female
Age: 2
Birthplace: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Banbury
Sub-District: Banbury
Parish: Neithrop
County: Oxfordshire

Name: James Alfred Robinson
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Male
Age: 4
Birthplace: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Banbury
Sub-District: Banbury
Parish: Neithrop
County: Oxfordshire

A tree on Ancestry has attached a copy of David Robinson and Alice Tustain’s MC

9 Jul 1904 – St Paul’s Church, Banbury Oxfordshire
David Robinson – 21, Bachelor- French Polisher – 28 Upper Windsor St – father James Robinson – Blacksmith
Alice Tustain – 20, Spinster – 17 Foundary St – Father Alfred Tustain – Cloth Warper.
Witnesses Norah Horsley and Henry Tustain.

David’s WW1 records name living children as
George Owen 31 Jul 1904
James Alfred (looks like 46, but that must be wrong) Jun 1906
Violet Emily 26 Jun 1908
Amelia Elizabeth 2 Jul 1910
David 5 Jan 1913
Alice 13 Feb? 1916

This might be Eileen Pearl's birth
Births Dec 1922 (>99%)
Robinson Eileen P Fustian Banbury 3a 1746

The transcription of mmn as Fustain is correct, but could be transcribed incorrectly by GRO from the regional returns.

Could Violet Emily be the Millie?

As you've probably taced the Robinson's further back, you've probably already found out that they were Robinson since at least 1841. If they had a name change, it was before census began.

1911 England Census about Alfred Tustain
Alfred Tustain
Age in 1911: 48
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1863
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Banbury
Civil Parish: Fulham
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street Address: 47a Lindrop Street, Fulham S W
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: MARBLE MASONS LABOURER
Registration District: Fulham
Name Age
Alfred Tustain 48
Amelia Tustain 45 - married 29 years, 4 children born, all living
Thomas Alfred Tustain 28 - son
Rose Tustain 25 - daughter in law m 7 yrs, 3 children born, 2 still living
Rose Tustain 7 - grandaughter
Thomas Tustain 4-grandson
Sarah Jane Evins 16-neice

1901 England Census about Alfred Tustain

Alfred Tustain
Age: 38
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1863
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Amelia Tustain
Gender: Male
Where born: Banbury, Oxfordshire, England
Civil Parish: Neithrop
Ecclesiastical parish: Banbury St Mary and Neithrop St Paul
County/Island: Oxfordshire
Name Age
Alfred Tustain 38
Amelia Tustain 35
Thomas Tustain 18
Alice Tustain 17<<<<<
Harry Tustain 15
Alfred Robert Tustain 9
Sarah Jane Evins 6 - adopted daughter

If you've traced Alfred Tustain back to his birth, and prior to that, then you will have found that his parents Thomas Tustain and Elizabeth also carried the same surname to 1841.

They or the other lines might have been Jewish, but there doesn't seem to have been a name change within the parameters of census.

It's easy enough for anyone with a sub to a FH site to find them all. We'd be happy to post but you may prefer to research yourself.

Marriage for Alfred Tustain (1863)
Alfred Tustain
Year of Marriage 1881
Quarter of Marriage Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration District Banbury
Registration County Oxfordshire
to Amelia Heels EVANS

Possibly Amelia Evans in 1871
Amelia Evans
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1866
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Thos Evans
Mother's Name: Jane Evans
Gender: Female
Where born: Banbury, Oxfordshire, England
Civil Parish: Neithrop
Ecclesiastical parish: Banbury St Mary
County/Island: Oxfordshire

Name Age
Thos Evans 24
Jane Evans 22
Amelia Evans 5
Henry Evans 3
Norah Evans 6 Months
Catharine Wagstaff 23 - unmarried Lodger
Henry Wagstaff 3 - Lodger's son

Can I just say a BIG THANK YOU!! to those who have helped me so much. Your research as inspired me to continue the process, on both my Fathers as well as my Mothers. I've spent the last couple of days poring over the nuggets that have been presented by your thoughtful and deeply appreciated actions. I'm now at the point where the official records go no further and will have to rely on other types of records.

Regards

Francis