Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-15
tiYtt1ENATED NAMES.
EeGtons why the Fashion of Using Them
IL Becoming Popular.

EeGtons Why the Fashion of Using Them
IL Becoming Popular.
One of tho fashions which, at first sight,
sccu difficult to account for Is that par
ticular weakness which causes an endless
number of people to change their sur
names. But little thought will give tho
rlcw to the rapidly increasing army who
go through the world labeled in form
differing from the original advertisement
Of their known male ancestors. 1t is
strange, bat nevertheless u true fact that
tho undoubted tendency of aristocratic
families is to become extinct or to end in
hcircsscs. There is no legitimate male
desc, ndant of any king of England who
sat on tho throne before the reign of
George ].
OF tho % barons who set their hands to
Magma Charta not single male descend
ant remains. There is not single Eng
lish bnrony by writ (heritablo by or
through femalcs) now held by a malo of
the family in which it was originally
created. There arc only about 300 noble
or gentle families now holding tho same
land in male succession which their malc
ancestors held even as recently rs the reign
OF King Henry VII. There is scarcely an
English pedigree without q break. 1t IL
doubtful If there aro 80 authentic malo
pcdiBrees today in England which can DO
taken back to tho conquest.
Thus tho necessity of changing ones
name argued connection with and de-
scent from an ancient family-crgo it was
an aristocratc thing to change ones name
or take "a double name. Aftor that of
course came the dcluge of such changes
In. IL,
with no inherited obligation to do so
were glad enough to perpetuato by n
change of surname or by tho adoption of
n double surname the fact of their descent
in a female line from an ancient house.
At II still lator date, probably within the
last 80 years, has arisen yet another class,
typical product of tho days wo live in,
who for mere purposes of distinction, ono
might say from the necessity of distinc-
ton, have been glad to seize any plausible
excuse to either make n complete change
or more often to hyphcn on some other
nnmo in the hope that the combination
will be more or less distinctive. While
such names as Plantagenet, Mnltravers,
Mauleverer, Conyers, FltZalan, De Bohun,
etc., have become extinct the names of
Smith, Brown, Jones and Robinson still
increase and multiply as tho sand upon
the scashoro And with this ghastly null
tiplication and duplication, small wonder
that distinction becomes advantageous.
II seems to be very general idea that u
man may change his name as, how and
when he likes, seeking tho approval and
authorization Of 10 one save himself
Nearly every rollcitor will advise you to
this effect, because the textbooks he Grams
from and relics upon do not teach him to
tho contrary, This idea, unfortunately,
is rapidly spreading and to n great extent
dates from the following dictum of &
judge, who remarked from the bench, Il
| know of no law tn prevent any man chang.
ing his name as often rs he likes, provided
that it is not done for the purposes OF
| fraud" This is not the only case in
which judge has gone wrong by endeav
oring to apply the rules Of law court law
| and jurisdiction to matters OF honor, "
| which are in tile sole prorogative of the
| crown and which arc within the jurisdic
| ton of the earl marshals court, -Genea
| logical Magazine