Genealogy Chat

Hi everyone, thanks for suggestions. His wife was still alive when he died, so I would imagine that she was the informant, which makes it all the more confusing if his name was James. I have ordered the marriage and death certificate now, so hopefully they will answer everything.

I've always thought it odd that Jack was the diminutive for John - given that Jacques is the French and Jacobus the Latin for James... Maybe that suggestion earlier that he was called Jack as a proper diminutive, and the death-informant assumed it was for John? Christine

My cousin is James John - and we call him Jack!

When we were kids, an uncle used to come and stay quite often. He was known by me and my sister/brother as Uncle Jack. His siblings (inc my mother) all called him John. He was baptised Edwin. Go figure! lol

Hi Dancer and Merry, Sorry never answered had to collect the kids from school. The point you raise re: Thora knowing his real names was one that I questioned. My mum cant remember anything else, i asked her again this afternoon. I have also looked for a James O'Donnell death in the correct district and time frame but cant find one. I suppose I could have the wrong marriage, but I wouldnt imagine that there are many Thora Forbes marrying an O'Donnell.

I would have thought that his wife knew his actual name, regardless of what he may have been known as. In the hope that she registered his death, then I presume his death would have been registered as James rather than John or Jack. Having thought about this further ..... if your 99% sure that the marriage you have found between Thora & James is the correct one, then I would search for a death under the name James... rather than hope that the John death is yours. Can your Mum not remember a more accurate time scale for his possible death ??? Elaine ;-)

The actual death cert should also give his PLACE of birth (as given by the death informant, be it right or wrong!) Merry

Birth Sept 1916 John O'Donnell MMN: Snelling Holborn. 1b 993

No, I just meant that most people would use their birth name! So.....if you get the three certs (BM and D) you will have to keep your finges crossed that they all cross-ref!! Merry

I'll check the 1916 entry for births .....

Hi Merry, You mention Electoral Rolls ....... I can only add that just the other day, I searched and searched under the full name for a person known to be alive .. no results .... then, ...... it was mentioned what other name this person is aka ... and low and behold the result was found. Someone named Elaine Elizabeth Shawcross was found as Margaret Elizabeth Shawcross on the Electoral Register ...... So we can't rely on the person giving there actual name !! Elaine ;-)

I will go for the certificate, its the only one I can find that is anywhere near, and there are just too many coincidences. Thanks for advice.

Thora would still have been alive, she didnt die until 2001. You will have to excuse my family, we had a big rift and none of us talk anymore to my dads family.

Is there a chance that if you were to plump for this death cert, that your mum (or someone) would recognise the name of the informant......could it be Thora, for instance....or did she die first? If she did die first, do you have her death cert? Do you know where they lived at any particular time? Could you source the electoral rolls? - this should give his name correctly (maybe!) Merry

My dads name was John, maybe your right...think im gonna have to order it.

Hi, My Johns DOB given on Death is 2/7/1916. I have looked for a James O'Donnell around this quarter and there is one. But this is a possible one for a John as well.

One of my Grandad's was named Jack ... that's what we called him. On his death cert and birth cert - he is JOHN. I have since been told that he was ONCE known as Jim/James as that was his Fathers name, but he soon became known as Jack because of the confusion ! I would plump for JOHN .... also because John was often written as Jas on census forms ...... Elaine ;-)

I suppose if he was always called Jack, then the assumption would be that his ''real'' name was John....so if the person who reg the death didn't realise he used the ''wrong'' diminutive.......(Should have been Jim for James, shouldn't he!) Merry

Oh dear! Do you know where Mr O'Donnell was born? (please don't say Ireland!). Can you match up the date of birth given at the death registration with a GRO birth reg? Merry

I have just started looking at my dads side of the tree (im stuck with the other side) My Grandmother was called Thora Forbes, now I have found what I think is the right index for her marriage. BUT.........the marriage is to a James O'Donnell, apparently everyone called him Jack. So i thought that if i had a look at the death index then I could find his birth. Now my mum seems to remember him being a her wedding to my dad, that was 1969, and that he was dead before I was born 1976, and that the death should be registered around the Watford/Barnet district. But the only death I can find is for a John O'Donnell. Would a James who was called Jack have their death registered as a John? Would you order this certificate, I had four last month that werent mine.