Genealogy Forum UK

Before I go in depth detail with this one, I will start by asking a quick question just to push my brain in other directions, later I will post all the facts and info I have found. It appears I have a family who change between HENRY and HENDRY. I have spent couple of days on this conundrum and I can find no doubling up of names or entries for any of the individuals for each set of records, it is HENDRY or HENRY.

Have you ever come across a family who use two totally different surnames on official BMD, parish records and census forms, even if it is just 1 letter change, or any Ideas as to why.

I am getting rather excited, could be seeing the evolution of a surname in action, sure its something more associated with middle ages and earlier, not 19th century, but a complete new use of the name to point where it is changing in the official documents to emerge as a new Surname. I have a lot of work to do still, but its all interesting stuff, when I get my initial facts and sources more organised and checked them again for the umpteenth time, then I will post it all up here.

This is getting very complicated, seriously, David HENRY b 1861 uses HENRY all the time.

His father David HENRY b1829, was married 3 times using Henry VIII pater, Died Died Survived, that has complicated things, but has provided extra evidence, new entries or whatever for his first 2 children born to first wife, is being recorded under his 3rd wifes name, witnessed by his Parents.

He has used both HENRY and HENDRY in documents.

His Father, Thomas b abt 1808, usese HENDRY all the time, although HENRY b1829 Refers to his father in records as HENRY.

INsane, I have to keep going back all time over and over everything and finding correct records is also troublesome.

Was he actually writing the documents, i.e. was he literate. My ancestors back in the 18th century are Illmans (try saying Hillman in a Sussex dialect), as more general literacy took hold, and they started writing their own names the H became apparent.

My wife has distant links with the Barrelet family, possibly of French Huguenot stock although research also points to Switzerland. In the 19th century they can be found as Barralet, Barralett, Barralay and others but the three mentioned seem to have stuck through the generations. I don't know if this is deliberate, either emphasising the French connection or rejecting it, but it does seem to stick in some families whereas others revert to the original.

Incidentally, is it Bucket or Bouquet?

Yes this is a possibility, however they they do appear to be able to read and write, there is nothing to indicate they can not, as in the registrars copies there is nothing on lines of "X- the mark of.. " which is present on the copy of the Marriage certificate I have for David and Ann (WINGATE) m1888.

In one way it is annoying all the Scottish census forms are not available to view unless I pay up. Initially found identical members of the family in 1871 census as Hendry on ancestry with the transcription details, so I had to pay to make sure it was a transcription error, but it was written Hendry on that.

I have just ploughed through this and my methodical approach is going out the window as I persue certain avenues and I am confusing myself, time to write a report and summary with the evidence I have so far and work out a few more targets and objectives.

But I will post what I have found up here some point, hopefully today.

I know I promised, but things changed, A lot of change. I thought I cracked it, but then a huge curve ball with a few spanners thrown into the works along with any other simile and metaphor you can come up with, came along. This is just a huge headache.

I will not give you my conclusions, as it could influence your thinking, you may think of something different, which you may not have done had I influenced you.

SUMMARY For you to look at.
Thomas HENDRY b abt 1801 in Montrose. - birth details obtained from 1851 census.
Wife: MARGARET (MILNE) HENDRY b abt 1808.
Married : 1828 or 1829.
Parents of 7 children who use HENDRY or HENRY along with decendants. - this are now established facts which you do not have to worry over.
MArriage entry for Thomas and Margaret


I have begun looking at finding about the parents and birth for Thomas. Looked for births for a Thomas HENRY or HENDRY , used 3 search sites, Ancestry, family Search and ScotlandsPeople.

Most likely candidate, and the closest to his declared age in Census is the following entry, is an entry for Montrose Parish records - Thomas HENRY born to Alexander and Jean (FERRIER) on 30th July 1799. Please note the name is HENRY


Looking for parents marriage raised this interesting Conundrum. I am more than aware that it is possible for two family groups to be nearly identical in name, ages and even giving children same ages born same year. However, there is a little twist to the following.

First entry, we have a record from Montrose, date not shown, but at top of margin on original document, dated 03 FEB 1793which reads:

"Alexander HENRY of this parish & Jean FERRIER of the Parish of Brechin were proclaimed in order to marriage and no objections offered, "


However there is also this entry for BRECHIN.
"29th Jan 1793, Alexander HENDRY, mailman in MONTROSE and Jean FERRIER, servant at Kintrockat (house) in this parish were contracted in order to marriage three several(?) times and no objections raised were married on the 5th day of FEB.




To recap, in case you missed the obvious! We have a parish entry in BRECHIN FOR Alexander HENRY From MONTROSE and Jean FERRIER from BRECHIN married on 03 FEB 1793

Then we also have a Parish entry in MONTROSE for Alexander HENDRY From MONTROSE and Jean FERRIER from BRECHIN,married on 05 FEB 1793

IN case you were wondering, the two places are next to each other.



What do you make of this! same names from same places, married 2 days apart in adjoining parishes a stone throw from each other with different surnames of HENRY and HENDRY.

Hello Andrew,

These are my thoughts.

Alexander was from the parish of Montrose, with Jean from the parish of Brechin. If the Bride & Groom come from different parishes, the Banns have to be read in both parishes, and it’s usual for the marriage to take place in the Bride’s parish, unless of course they prefer the “look” of the other church.

So, the first entry dated 3 Feb 1793 was just the Banns being read and written out in the parish of Montrose.

The second entry 29 Jan 1793 was the Banns being read and written out in the parish of Brechin, but the rest of the line was completed when the marriage took place on 5 February. If you look at the first line of the previous Banns, it reads “and no Objection offered, were married, never”

Can I just point out, that the “marriage” you have of Thomas Hendry, I read his wife’s name as MILNE not Miline. Again, I think this is Banns, not marriage, because of the 10.6 which I believe to 10s. 6d.

Oh dear I am not having a good day, I miss-read your post, but anyway here is complete document.

I should have said thanks for pointing out my typo, I have Milne for all my records correct! Just looked at timestamp of the above image, I was certainly burning the candle at both ends! I also just looked at my bank balance... I think that session on Scotlands People has blown my family research budget for 6 months lol

There are more questions than answers...... la la la

So HENRY or HENDRY ??? IF it is just a plain error in the Banns for BRechin, how does that explain Thomas using HENDRY? If HENDRY is correct, how does that explain the entry in Montrose for Thomas HENRY? If HENDRY is correct, then how does that explain the sudden change to HENRY by a number of his children when they leave home?

there is something strange going on and I want to know what it is!

Further developments, Entries for rest of children born to Alexander and Jean(FERRIER) HENRY.






ALl the children listed under HENRY in Monstrose. I only purchased one and its just an identical entry. Curse the Scotts for not allowing full access via ancestry! It would make life easier if I could just flip through all the parish records like you can with the English records.

HELP ME OUT PLEASE.

There are quite a few women called Jean (FERRIER) floating around, can you try and find a marriage between another Jean(FERRIER) and this time a Charles HENRY, pretty please, I cannot, but if you can, then I need to rethink the following scandal.

I found another child being registered to a JEAN (FERRIER) in MOntrose, but problem is, the father is Charles HENRY. T is this is the same jean (FARRIER) married to Alexander? the birth is perfectly in between two of her children with Alexander so could be the same person and we have naughty going ons and scandal

Is this still a Brickwall, or have you solved it?

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