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James Luckhurst/Gorham Lenham/Folkstone Kent b 1826c JamesLuckhurst married Ann Taylor from Hucking Kent in 1846, both under age when married. However James leaves Kent between 1851 and 1861 and turns up in Poplar London under the name of Gorham. no baptism can be found for him. and I am intrigued as to why he changed his name and went to live in the poorest area of London. If anyone can help me solve this mystery I would be forever grateful, I have been trying to find out for 5 years+ now.

First question........are you 100% certain that the person named Gorham is the one who married as Luckurst

Not doubting you........just wanting to get it clear

Change of name sometimes indicates involvement in criminal activity

Alternatively, could he have perhaps discovered that he had been under a false impression about who fathered him...............and learned the truth

Did he name a father on his marriage cert?

Hi Christine, sorry if I'm asking the obvious, but how do you know the one in Poplar is the same man?

The 1861:

GORHAM, James Head Married M 36 1825 Plasterer ..., Kent
GORHAM, Ann Wife Married F 36 1825 Hucking, Kent
GORHAM, Frederick Son M 13 1848 Plasterer Apprentice Maidstone, Kent
GORHAM, Herbert Son M 10 1851 Folkestone, Kent
GORHAM, Horace Son M 6 1855 Maidstone, Kent
GORHAM, Mennie Daughter F 3 1858 Poplar, Middlesex
GORHAM, Isabella Daughter F 0 (1M) 1861 Poplar, Middlesex
SMITH, Eliza Visitor Widow F 69 1792 Monthly Nurse Margate, Kent
SMITH, Eliza Visitor F 11 1850 Wapping, Middlesex
SMITH, Teresa Visitor F 7 1854 St Georges, Middlesex
HUGHES, Henry Brother In Law Married M 38 1823 Fishmonger Lenham, Kent

Piece: 305 Folio: 136 Page: 52
Registration District: Poplar
Civil Parish: Poplar

Address: 7, Richard Street, Poplar County: London

His brother-in-law is Henry Hughes which implies this man's wife was Ann Hughes.
EDIT: Unless Henry Hughes was married to a sister of James?

Christening ? This family are on the 1841 census



Name: James Luckhurst Or Lucas
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 20 Mar 1825
Christening Place: Westwell, Kent, England
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: John Luckhurst Or Lucas
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Charlotte Luckhurst Or Lucas
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: I03786-3
System Origin: England-EASy
GS Film number: 1473774
Reference ID: 52

Thank you, would that mean that his mother was unmarried, as my James father is on his marriage cert, another James, its the change of name I am really wondering about, and why the name of Gorham? its so frustrating.
:-S

That Gorham family were Gorham in 1851:

GORHAM, James Head Married M 25 1826 Plasterer Lenham, Kent
GORHAM, Ann Daughter Married F 26 1825 Hucking, Kent
GORHAM, Frederic Son M 3 1848 Maidstone, Kent
GORHAM, Herbert Son M 0 (8 MOS) 1851 Folkstone, Kent
BURGESS, William Visitor Married M 50 1801 Plasterer Ampthill, Bedfordshire

Piece: 1633 Folio: 134 Page: 14
Registration District: Elham

Address: High Street County: Kent

This could be him in 1841

Name: James Luckhurst
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Gender: Male
Where born: Kent, England
Civil Parish: Westwell
Hundred: Calehill
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street Address:

Occupation:

View Image
Registration District: West Ashford
Sub-registration District: Calehill
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 476
Book: 10
Folio: 7
Page Number: 7
Household Members:
Name Age
John Luckhurst 60
Charlotte Luckhurst 50
Eliza Luckhurst 20
Charles Luckhurst 15
James Luckhurst 15
David Luckhurst 12
Amie Luckhurst 10

Westwell is secen miles from Lenham

and this is 1861

Name: James Gorham
Age: 36
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1825
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Ann Gorham
Gender: Male
Where born: Lenham, Kent, England
Civil Parish: Poplar
Ecclesiastical parish: All Saints
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England
Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

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Registration District: Poplar
Sub-registration District: Poplar
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Schedule Number: 295
Piece: 305
Folio: 136
Page Number: 52
Household Members:
Name Age
James Gorham 36
Ann Gorham 36
Frederick Gorham 13
Herbert Gorham 10
Horace Gorham 6
Minnie Gorham 3
Isabella Gorham 1 Months
Eliza Smith 19
Eliza Smith 11
Teresa Smith 7
Henry Hughes 38
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Ann pob "hackington" seems to be Hucking in original (which is upside down!!!!!)

This chap is a plasterer by trade,


1851 England Census about James Gorham
Name: James Gorham
Age: 49
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1802
Relation: Head
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: Boxley, Kent, England
Civil Parish: Maidstone
Ecclesiastical parish: Trinity
Town: Maidstone
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street Address: Woollcott street

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage: married

Disability:

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Registration District: Maidstone
Sub-registration District: West Maidstone
ED, institution, or vessel: 1ll
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Schedule Number: 4
Piece: 1617
Folio: 556
Page Number: 1
Household Members:
Name Age
James Gorham 49
Elizabeth Millin 42
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pm:

"Hi thanks for that, I also thought Criminal activity, I am almost sure it is him as I traced everything back to him from my Grandad Ernest, son of Frederick. for years i searched for birth and marriage to no avail, taking details from 1861 Census, oh I think the Hughes guy is Ann's sisters husband as apparently she married a Hughes.. Then I was contacted by someone asking about him as she had been researching James Luckhurst/Lucas in Kent and found him through the names of his children that were born in the 1840's and 50's. due to names like Horace and Isabella etc. and it all added up but not the reason for the name change "

Another plasterer,


1841 England Census about James Gorham
Name: James Gorham
Age: 53
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1788
Gender: Male
Where born: Kent, England
Civil Parish: Maidstone
Hundred: Maidstone Borough
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street Address: st faiths street

Occupation:

View Image
Registration District: Maidstone
Sub-registration District: West Maidstone
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 490
Book: 8
Folio: 24
Page Number: 19
Household Members:
Name Age
James Gorham 53
Betsy Gorham 34
James Gorham 14 <<<<<<<

You haven't said how you have proved that there WAS a change of name

On the marriage certificate what is his address given, what was his fathers trade and who were the witnesses?

Christine, please use the large white box at the bottom of the thread to reply to comments

pm
"The census records for him and family in Poplar are correct, the one with him in Folkstone 1851 with Ann, frederick etc are correct. James father also James Plasterer occ is on marriage cert, the Luckhursts and Gorhams generally appear to be Plasterers. "

One thing to bear in mind is that fathers are often invented on marriage certificates to cover up illegitimacy. Very easy for someone to say that their father's name and occupation were the same as their own.

Hi sorry I am a little slow. one handed.... James Luckhursts father is on the marriage Cert James a 'Plasterer' I think the rest is explained above. I know that the James Gorham in Poplar 1861 Census is my GG Grandad, also the one in 1851 Folkstone census with Ann on it and Frederick (my Great Grandad) I was unable originally to get James birth in the name of Gorham or Marriage, there was one marriage James Gorham that I thought I had found but the Ann that was shown on the same 'page' was not his wife it was a Sarah, wasted cost of cert. I was contacted by a lady who was researching James Luckhurst and found him under the name Gorham in Poplar, she knew it was him due to the names of his wife and children and where born etc.

Tenerife Sun - your christening matches my 1841 census. But Christine says father was James which fits with the Gorhams.

Christine, have you actually got the marriage certificate?

Who are witnesses, fathers, fathers' occupations etc

Jude

witness's Mary Anderson and Henry Pain

Do you have birth certs for any of his children?

address on marriage cert ' town of Folkstone'. yes I have the cert. Father James Luckhurst Plasterer, I do realise this father could be made up.