Same male name for 3 generations, can I put I, II, III after them?

Question

I have 3 generations of George Henry Baylis are we allowed to add I, II, III to help or (the 2nd one) or what is the policy? It gets confusing.

Comments

Sarah, if if persons you’re asking about didn’t use them, then no. We use the names as they used them. (But is would make things easier, wouldn’t it?!)

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Yes it would but I get it - I suppose I can put a comment like "the 2nd George Henry Baylis" in research notes, in bold with an explanation. To help get them mixed up less.

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A comment in the bio or research notes would be perfect!

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"the 2nd George Henry Baylis"

I think this would only make sense if there have only ever been 2 people named George Henry Baylis. The brothers of the oldest one may also have had children with the same name, and the further back you go the more likely it is. 

You may subsequently find that the person you have listed as George Henry Baylis number 1, was named after his grandfather, or great uncle, and was actually George Henry Baylis number 5!

In my family my Dad was known as Big 'Richard', an uncle was known as Middle 'Richard', and I was known as Little 'Richard because we all had the same first and last names. These names were useful when we were all alive, but useless for family tree purposes. In my family tree there are several other Richards, all with the same surname.

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Thanks Richard, have taken note and will be careful how I word it in the Research notes - for now there are only 3, and I am not sure how much further I can go back the first is in the 1700's, but you aren't wrong. I just want a way to identify quickly which one I am dealing with to save any stupid mistakes on my part lol.

Answer 1

Only if that was actually a part of their names - or they were royalty.

Comments

There is supposed to be a connection to royalty somewhere in the family, according my mother-in-law. There is a resemblance. But not with the George Henry Baylis's I think, one was a Tallow Chandler....one a machinest then Blacksmith and I don't know about the last one yet.