For years I have known about William Owen Dean . he was my mothers Grandfather , He said to all his children that they had to keep the Owen part of their name it was important I never gave it much thought until I looked at the census and on one he has the Dean and on the next he is plain Owen no Dean. I always believed that people did that for a reason , either money coming in or to avoid being caught doing something . How did people just add names , their boss would need to know unless changing jobs officials maybe . So why and how do /did they do it ? anyone any ideas and why Dean ??
regards Alan

Hi Alan

To help everybody search, could you tell us the birth year of William Owen Dean and his parents names.

Sue

William was born an Owen in 1852 on the 1861 census he was 8 and states born in Dewsbury he is living with his father also William Owen born in Sheffield 1811 his mother not listed but William Owen senior married an Elizabeth
on the 1881 census he is an Owen with wife and family , on the 1891 census he is an Owen Dean . Both families match he is a Butchers blade forger like his father . so right family just Dean a puzzle
regards Alan

on the 1851 census William Owen senior is living in Dewsbury occupation Spade Shovel maker he is a widower says born in Heeley Sheffield so William junior mum unknown
on the 1841 census William same occupation wife Elizabeth children Alfred mentioned in 1851 census and Adelaide not mentioned .so guess both mum and daughter died ,

Hi Alan, The name Owen is used throughout your family, Samuel Owen Dean 1877, Adelaide Owen Dean 1885, Fanny Owen Dean 1888, Harry Owen Dean 1890, Percy Owen Dean 1892, Both their parents burial on this site in 1907 shows William Owen Dean and Elizabeth Owen Dean in the same grave. regards Barry

Barry
Yes Owen is the name what I'm hoping to find out is WHY he changed it to Owen Dean I think I need to find his Mother and her name could be a clue Regards Alan

From GRO index, Adelaide Owen born Leeds 1840 MMN Worral. Alfred Peter Owen born Sheffield 1838, also MMN Worral. Adelaide married in Sheffield, 1864
William Owen married Elizabeth Worrall 1833 Sheff Parish Church (FMP).
An Elizabeth Owen age 30 died 1842 Sheffield (GRO).
Dave

Thank you Dave for that information still looking for a why did he add Dean further searching Kind Regards Alan

Hi Alan

Might not help except to deepen the mystery...

On FMP I've found the marriage of William Owen Dean (aged 21, Butchers Blade Forger) to Elizabeth Sykes in 1874 in Sheffield, but the fathers name and occupation is blank??

There is a baptism in 13 Aug 1865 in Sheffield Park, for a William Owen (born 5 Oct 1852). Father William, Blade Maker, Mother Jane, living at Anson Street. (Quite plausible that someone would be baptised years later, particularly if they moved around and William Owen did move from Dewsbury back to Sheffield at some point between 1851 and 1861).

Struggling to find a marriage between a William Owen and a Jane to check further. Might not be relevant but you never know...

Hi Alan

I also found the same information as Denise but cannot find a marriage for a William Owen and a Jane.

As previously mentioned, in 1841 William Owen b.1811 is living in Chapel Lane, Leeds with wife Elizabeth and two children. Dave found a death for an Elizabeth Owen in 1842.
Her burial was at Sheffield Cathedral on 30 January 1842 wife of William Owen, spade maker, address Colliers Row.

If this is the correct death of Elizabeth Owen then she cannot be the mother of William Owen/ Dean b.1852

Sue

Alan, switching of names in those days was frequently done when the child was illegitimate and the mother later married, or lived with without marriage, a man and the two then brought up the illegitimate child and that child may then use either surname.
Denise 's find of William Owen Dean having declared no father on marriage would imply that he was illegitimate. The fact that a William Owen was baptised 1865, born 1852 with father William and mother Jane would imply that William was the illegitimate son of Jane Dean and they were later taken on , without official marriage, by William Owen.
Unfortunately unless someone can find a William Dean, illegitimate son of a Jane Dean, it remains just a (viable) theory
Dave

I knew about Jane and William they are in the right area Park so may have married after at St Johns . Colliers Row was Park so good connection. I knew about Leeds death of Elizabeth have all details . been researching for over 50 years but could not get the Dean connection . I looked for a marriage on Sheffield and nothing there , so may have lived over the brush as they say . Also some times if not baptised they could not get married which led to baptism before wedding .
Thank you to all of you for your suggestions and help much appreciated

Alan

Alan, do you know who registered the death of William Owen who died in 1873 and is buried at St John Park?. If not, the death cert may be worth buying.
Dave

Hi Dave
Working on the theory that Jane is the mother I looked up Jane Deans on 1841 and 51 census and found three within date . On the 1851 baptised 1849 a Jane Dean is living at Brownhills yard Scotland st with a daughter Elizabeth aged 1 , she is 34 a widow . > I then looked for a death of a Jane Dean between census 1881 and 1891 and found one June qtr 1887 Eccelsall b 9c207 age 81 the dates don't match for these two but worth sending for the death cert. . Why all this time to look for her , well I;m tiding up my information on various lines and the DEAN part always puzzled me so time to try and sort it . In real time looks like William (senior)moved around a lot First wife died and he took up with a Jane Dean who had a child also called William rather than marry they carried on as husband and wife until the day she was dying and confessed to the family that she was a Dean , this then prompted William to change his name to Dean between census,s I think I have the answer almost looking me in the face .
Thank you all for you help
regards Alan

Hi Alan,

Just before you send for that death cert for Jane Dean, and looking at your theory - remember that William Owen Dean married in 1874 and married as 'Owen Dean' so he was using Dean then, then reverted back to just Owen on the 1881 Census and back to Dean in 1891 (I havent found anything on the 1871 census for a likely William Owen/Dean and you dont mentioned that census so dont know if you have found him?)

As Dave found, William died in 1873 and he was living at Duke St at the time. So I've been looking for him and Jane on the 1871 census but cant find anything for Jane under either Dean or Owen. The only likely record I can find for a William that fits is back in West Yorkshire in Rastrick/Halifax:

William Owen aged 59, Knife Maker, Born in Sheffield, Widower

He was living with the family of Joseph Owen and was down as the Uncle of Joseph. (dont know if you have all the info on his wider family and know of a Joseph)

This would make sense as he did seem to go back and forward between Leeds/Dewsbury and Sheffield. Given that hes down as 'widower' This could mean that Jane died between 1865 (williams baptism) and 1871, so it might just be worth that search before you order the death cert you've identified for a Jane in Sheffield?

Also, if Jane was from the Leeds/Dewsbury/Halifax area it might be that after Williams baptism they moved back to that area and Jane may have died there (?). Then William moved back to Sheffield again between 1871 and 1873 when he died??

thank you Denise
I have him on the 1861 census living on Weigh lane Sheffield with his son william and two lodgers . 10 years later on the 1871 census he is at Collier Row exactly where he should be . The census page wont open so unsure who he's living with .
On the 1861 it states Married but no wife shown. on the 71 he's a lodger but wont open so don't know who he is living with Do you have access to 1871 that will open ? is it my machine or just wont open ?
regards Alan The Owen's and the Sykes were pally so perhaps with them . Alan .

Hi Alan

I've managed to open it

William Owen aged 18, unmarried, Table Blade Striker born in Sheffield .
Living at 74 Colliers Row as a lodger of the Parker/Cox family

I can email you the census page if you want to take a look ?

Meant to add the transcription says

William Owen born 1816 (which would be afew years out for William ) but opening it up you actually get William Owen aged 18 so cant be William Owen (senior)

Alan,
If William Owen senior lived with Jane but they were not married then perhaps she died and was buried as Jane Owen. A search for death of Jane Owen in Yorkshire between 1865 (When we know she was alive) and 1871 (when we assume she had already died) produces only 4 answers. Three of them were infants and the remaining one was 36 yrs old Jane Owen who died in HALIFAX in q4 1867. Coincidence!! She would have been 22 when William was born, and 18yrs younger than William senior.
I suggest that death cert has a chance to show a link with William sr.
Dave

David I agree but to add to the confusion I found another death of a Jane Dean in Sheffield in 1888 she was 55 years old a possible.
The other possibility is she had her husbands name of Dean as a widow. more confused than ever now .
will re look at my notes and come back to it some time .
Alan

Hi Dave
I went through all my old BMD certs I have bought over the years and found William Owen Dean marriage cert. First thing the vicar had him down as a Thomas and crossed that out and wrote William Owen Dean . as you rightly said no fathers name so suggests could be born wrong side of the bed sheet ' I have searched all Dean's born about same period and all Owen's the same very frustrating but eliminating some due to occupation non of the people searched state his occupation
non were from Dewsbury except one a William Dean son of Duke and Ann Dean carpet weaver of Dewsbury 1852. I have this cert must have bought it years ago and forgot about it until todays search . With so many William Owens in and around Yorkshire I haved checked them all , Thanks for all your help may look at the Halifax ladys death .
kind regards

Alan

Alan
That William Dean born Dewsbury Q4 1852 died Q1 1854 Dewsbury, age 1 (GRO index).
Dave
Edit Alan,just thinking about that crossed out Thomas. In HALIFAX Q3 1852 there is a birth reg for THOMAS DEAN and he was illegitimate (GRO)

Hi Alan,

Sheffield Independent 7 November 1857.
This is to give notice, that I WILLIAM OWEN, Blade maker, No. 7 Weigh Lane,
Park, will not be Answerable for any Debts that my Wife, ELLEN OWEN, may
Contract after this date.-- Nov, 7, 1857.

Marriage, 11 December 1856, Sheffield Parish Church.
William Owen, 46, Widower, Blade maker, Lambert St. father - Joseph Owen, Spade maker.
Ellen Elizabeth Clark, 35, Widow, of Lambert St. father - Bartholomew Atkinson,
Plumber.

Moira.

Moira thank you for that information not a happy life for William within a year he is putting a notice in the paper regards her spending . oh dear . what will happen next !!!!!
regards alan