The Hough/Davies Mystery

Whilst researching my Great Grandfather I've got to know him quite well, but there's a mystery yet to be uncovered, He was born Thomas William Hough, but why did he start calling himself Davies?

Thomas was born during the Victorian Era. A time of great prosperity in Great Britain and the British Empire under the reign of Queen Victoria. Profits were gained through industrial improvements in Great Britain and from colonies overseas.

He was born near Preston on 17 Aug 1871 at Longton, Lancashire, England to William and Ellen Hough (nee Snailham). He was the first of the six children the couple would eventually have.

Thomas and Elizabeth Aspinwall

In 1888 at the age of 17 Thomas married Elizabeth Ellen Aspinwall from Skelmesdale and they stayed in the area, living nearby at the Rose Bud Inn, Heapey, Wheelton, where Thomas worked at the nearby Heapey Station as a Railway Porter according to the 1891 census,

The Rose Bud Inn no longer exists today but was one of the most isolated Inns in the Chorley area, serving the farming communities of Wheelton and Heapey near to Brinscall Brook. It was located on the "road" halfway between Wheelton House Farm off Old Mill Race and the Railway Hotel and also overlooked the railway line.

It was here that Elizabeth gave birth to his first son John Percy Hough on 25 Aug 1890 when Thomas was 19

On the 16 Sep 1891 Elizabeth gave birth to a second son Wallace William Hough, who tragically died and was buried just 4 weeks later.

However, over the following years Thomas and Elizabeth were blessed with 3 more children while living at Weelton.

By 1898 Thomas, Elizabeth and their 4 children had moved to 73 School Lane, Withnell, Lancashire and Thomas was now working as a Dyer when tragedy struck once more. On 4 Mar 1898, Elizabeth died due to Puerperal Eclampsia Asphyxia which would have occurred close to or during childbirth.

Thomas moved soon after and was living in Babylon Lane, Heath Charnock, Chorley, Lancashire by the time probate was granted. Thomas was still only 26 years old and now a single father of 5 children.

The Mystery Begins

As can be seen on Elizabeth's death records Thomas still known as Thomas William Hough at this point. But this is where the mystery begins.

Thomas and Elizabeth Hill

The mystery is why, according to the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915, did Thomas marry using the name Thomas Davies.

We know for certain that we have the same Thomas, as according to the 1901 census the following March, he was working as a Brewers Carter and he and his new bride were living at 27 Scott Street, Barrow-in-Furness along with Thomas's existing 5 children. All the birth dates and places of birth match up with what we know so far. However they all appear on the census as "Davies" rather than "Hough"

On the 14 Jun 1901 Thomas and Elizabeth had a son, Thomas Gordon Davies, who was to be my grandfather who we would know in the future as Thomas Gordon Hough. Meanwhile though Thomas senior again appears on the birth certificate as Thomas William Davis

Thomas and Elizabeth had three more children, all daughters.

• Florrie, born 28 Dec 1903
• Cecila, born 21 Nov 1905
• Minnie, born Dec 1907

Another daughter, Doris was born on 1 Aug 1909 and the 1911 census shows them having moved again to 15 Slater Street, Barrow. Thomas was recorded as an unemployed labourer at the time of the census but the strange thing is, they were all still recorded as "Davies"

In 1915 Thomas's eldest son John Percy enlisted using the name Hough both for himself and Thomas as next of kin.

In 1919 Percy married, again using the surname of Hough.

By the time of the 1921 census Thomas and family had moved to 23 Lord Roberts Street, Barrow and Thomas was working as a Yardman for Thompsons Brewers in Dalton Road.

This was also the first census Thomas completed using the surname Hough instead of Davies since moving to Barrow over 20 years ago.

However the Davies name is not gone completely as when Thomas's son, Thomas Gordon (granddad) married Olive Angove (grandma) in Oct 1926 he married as Thomas Gordon Davies Hough.

Between 1930-32, Cecila, Doris and Ellen all married as Hough without the Davies

Thomas died 08 Jun 1935 aged 63. He is buried in Barrow Cemetery in Section: 3, Plot: 1803. He was buried as Thomas Davies Hough.

Why and where the Davies name came from remains a mystery.