Should Birth Registration and CWGC Entries agree?

[dycer]

Although the Family Name is Souness spelt with one N when I checked my Uncles' Birth Registration details in Edinburgh last week I found that my Grandfather had registered two of his Sons(killed) as Sounness and the third(survived) as Souness.

CWGC and local War Memorial record Souness

To complicate things even more.The CWGC entry records a Middle Name as Speed whilst the Birth Certificate shows Stevens.

I'm aware it was the Family that submitted final CWGC verification details so they should have known the correct Names and spelling

I appreciate it would be a pain to try and change both the CWGC Headstone and Arras Memorial engraving plus the local War Memorials.

As there is a discrepancy, which is an obvious mistake by my Grandfather,but resulted in my having difficulty tracing the Birth Certificates.Should I attempt to have the CWGC entries amended to record the legally correct details or let "sleeping dogs lie"?

I favour the latter action.

TIA

George

[Terry Denham]

George

The details will not always agree. The birth certificate name is one thing but often people varied their names throughout their lives as they are entitled to do.

CWGC does not necessarily record the name at birth (they would not know it). They received their names from the military and the name they record is meant to be that by which the person was known in the military. They do record the real name as well if an 'alias' was used.

If the NoK confirmed the name spelling, you will find it difficult to change things. After all, the purpose of the FVF was to get the NoK's input. This does not apply if a simple clerical error has been made as these will always be changed.

The name on the death certificate is more appropriate as that is the name given (and presumably in use) at the time of death. Your grandfather may not have made a mistake but the two versions may have been in use by the family at different times or by different members. It happens with such minor variations. 'Speed' may have been a nickname which found its way into everyday use and was recorded as a 'proper' name.

It would be worth querying whether a clerical error has been made but I think you will get no joy in changing them otherwise.

What does the death certifcate say?

[dycer]

Terry,

If I say my Grandfather throughout his life was recorded as working as a Farm Labourer,Rifle Range Warden and Bill Poster you will understand his standard of education.I'm not being derogatory.He died in 1925 in his 70's so would have received a basic education.He could read and write as the Birth entries testify.

I've not got my Grandfather's Birth Certificate(for my sins,as a Scot,he was born in England) but his Marriage,Census entries and Death Certificate record the Surname as Souness.

It is possible he decided to fiddle about with the Surname in the 1890's but it is more likely he went along with the Registrar who suggested a spelling of Sounness to him.There does appear to be a degree of flexibilty in the spelling as I could not find the Daughters under either spelling

To answer your questions directly.

I could not access the Death Certificates but the Army returns held in Register House,Edinburgh show Souness.For some reason I was unable to print these off but they merely confirm the CWGC entries.No messing about, though, one is recorded as "died of wounds" and the other "presumed dead".

One Uncle died aged 18(in January 1915) and the other aged 23(in March 1918) so I think we can discount them having time to play about with their Surnames as they both had been in France since November 1914.

Speed was my Grandmother's Maiden Name which is often used as a Middle Name in Scots Families.Stevens,however,was my Grt/Grandmother's Maiden Name.So it looks like my Grandfather registered his first born Son as George Stevens Sounness but forgot this later and thought he had registered him as George Speed Souness.

Isn't genealogy fun.I'm glad I quit whilst I was ahead last Friday in Edinburgh as I could have spent pounds printing off various Family Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates.

You've answered my question.Families could be fined if they did not register births in Scotland in the late 19th Century.However there was no compulsion on them to ensure that the Birth information compared accurately, where possible, with the CWGC details.

Souness they can remain.

Thank you for your reply.

George