Duce Family Mysteries

Location: Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Surnames/tags: Duce Goldsbrough Golding

UPDATE (4 May 2023). So, I have found out some more ...

Thomas was baptised in 1817 as Thomas Norton Duce, with no father given. His mother Esther Duce did not marry John Goldsbrough until 1821, so John is unlikely to be Thomas's father. Thomas was still using the name Thomas Norton Duce at his marriage in 1838 and at the baptism of his children in 1839, 1840 and 1843.

Factors that might have contributed: Thomas's mother Esther Duce died in 1838. John remarried in 1844.

... the investigations continue.

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When I started my family history research in 2005, I thought I had found evidence that my surname should be Goldsbrough not Duce. (Esther Duce married john Goldsbrough).

I tracked the change down to the family of Thomas Goldsbrough (1816-1875), a potter in Swinton, Yorkshire in the late 1850s.

1841 Census - surname is Golding 1851 Census - surname is Goldsbro 1856 Birth certificate of Henry - surname is Goldsbrough 1861 Census - surname is Duce (mother's maiden name) 1871 Census - surname is Duce 1881 Census - Henry was using Duce (Duse) 1891 Census - Henry used Golding Then Henry and other members of the family used Golding as a middle name.

Interesting ... ? Did they fall out with the Goldsbrough family? ? Did they find out some other scandal? ? Was Thomas avoiding debts/arrests/? ? Did the Duce family ask for this?

I might never find out why ... but it is interesting to speculate.

Any ideas?