Surname X formerly Surname X

I've just received through the post the birth certificate for my g. g.
grandfather's younger brother, which I only ordered "just because".
And as is the way with genealogy, I've stumbled across something
unexpected!

The mother's name is given as "Eleanor Gwellam formerly Gwellam" [or
perhaps "formerly Gwillam"]. Now, my immediate reaction is this means
that she had previously been married before marrying James Gwillam
(who's noted as the father). If so, this is news to me, as her maiden
name was Bryant!

Eve McLaughlin...

In that case, she was probably just confused by the question and
answered with her current name, on the grounds that she had it before
she came into the room

So, my question is about this way of recording the surname. Are there
any other likely explanations for it other than:
1. She'd indeed been married before to someone with the same surname.

Eve McLaughlin...

faintly possible - in which case Eleanor Gwellam formerly Bryant and
late Gwellam should be there

Charani...

That's possible, a brother or cousin perhaps.

2. For some bizarre reason before marrying she had been known by a
different surname to the rest of her immediate family.

Charani...

I wouldn't have thought so but it's not impossible that she was the
illegitimate dau of another Mr GWE(I)LLAM, but she might have taken
James' surname prior to marriage and given that instead of BRYANT, esp
if BRYANT wasn't mentioned on the certificate at all.

3. James had in fact married two different women named Eleanor.

Eve McLaughlin...

possible indeed.

Charani...

That's also a possibility. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, and it
did save him calling her by the "wrong" name ;))

Peter Goodey...

How about just a transcription error? Might be worth asking the local
register office what they have or check the parish register.

A. Gwilliam...

Given the way that "Gwellam" is written, I did wonder about trying to
get a certificate from the local registry office. It's not obvious
whether it says "formerly Gwellam", or "formerly Gwillam", although
there's no dot and the former would make more sense. But I hadn't
considered a straight thinko on the part of a GRO clerk. Thanks,
that's good thinking.

Of course it's even theoretically possible that this birth registration
is part of a massive coincidence of names, but that would basically
have to involve a family appearing only for this birth and then
disappearing from the records.

Anyway, for context this is all in 1840s rural Pembrokeshire.

Any comments gratefully received!

Charles Ellson...

1)
Eleanor
maiden surname Bryant
formerly Gwellam (because she was living with Mr G. as his "wife")
now Mrs Gwellam (because they have now married "properly")
OR
2)
Eleanor
maiden surname Bryant
formerly Gwellam (being brought up as a member of the G. family)
now Mrs Gwellam (having married a member [or not] of that family)

Hugh Watkins...

what dates ?

could the first Gwellam be a casualty in a war?

Hugh W

Jeff...

Always worth checking.

There no Gwellams on Commonwealth War Graves site.

But there 36 Gwilliams

Worth checking out at:

A. Gwilliam...

Thanks for the tip, however I already know about that site.

FWIW, two of the people listed are cousins of mine, whilst most (if not
all) of the others are almost certainly entirely unrelated.

One cousin was Sidney Gwilliam, who died aged just 16 at the Battle of
Jutland; the other was Felix Gwilliam, who apparently died in a
Japanese POW camp in 1945.

Hugh Watkins...

4 GWENALL, PERCY Private 9918 15/12/1914 Unknown Royal Welsh
Fusiliers United Kingdom Panel 5. PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL
5 GWENLAN, EDWARD Private 2023 08/05/1915 19 Monmouthshire Regiment
United Kingdom Panel 50. YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
6 GWENLLAN, ELMO Lance Corporal 5509740 23/04/1943 21 Hampshire
Regiment United Kingdom D. 1. THIBAR SEMINARY WAR CEMETERY

A. Gwilliam...

Thanks for taking the trouble to look. However, you're a hundred years
out!

Anyway, the spelling "Gwellam" is just a one-off, appearing only for
that particular birth registration.

Hugh Watkins...

which was a hint for you
general questions are best qualified with date and place

A. Gwilliam...

Which was why I said in my original post:
"Anyway, for context this is all in 1840s rural Pembrokeshire."

then the likes of Roy and Eve may come up with some morsel

So are we contemporary with the napoleonic wars?

A. Gwilliam...

Nope, the next generation along.

No doubt a thorough trawl through the parish records will do the trick,
anyway.

Hugh W