In 1857, Edward enlisted in the Royal Navy. It was then that his surname changed to Aldis. This could have been caused by his unique, Norfolk accent.

Edward Aldis

Born: 1834 in Blofield, Norfolk County, England

Father: John Aldous (1799 to 1887)
Mother: Martha Tunmore (1806 to 1881)

Spouse: Rebecca Peacock (1840 to 1889)

Married: 2 Nov 1862 in Gillingham, Kent County, England

Children:

Edward Charles Aldis (4 FEB 1872 to 27 JUL 1947)
Jeffery William Aldis (1878 to 6 OCT 1917)
Fanny Aldis (1880 to 1883)

Died: 1890 in Gillingham, Kent County, England

Timeline:

1841 Blofield, Norfolk County, England
1851 Blofield, Norfolk County, England
1857 Enlisted in the Royal Navy
1862 Marriage to Rebecca
1871 Sheerness, Kent County, England
1872 Birth of son, Edward
1878 Birth of son, Jeffery
1880 Birth of daughter, Fanny
1881 Frindsbury, Kent County, England
1881 Death of mother, Martha
1883 Death of daughter, Fanny
1885 Death of brother, James
1886 Death of brother, John
1887 Death of father, John
1890 Death and Burial

Occupation: stoker in the Royal Navy (1871), cement works laborer (1881)

Records:

1841, 1851, 1871, and 1881 England Census Records
Norfolk, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915
The UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services, 1900-1928
Norfolk, England, Transcripts of Church of England Baptism, Marriage and Burial Registers, 1600-1935
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
Kent, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1538-1914
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915

Variations of Surname: Aldous

The Aldis Variation:

As I was building Edward’s profile on Ancestry.com, I discovered that his surname changed from Aldous to Aldis. This was not a deliberate change, it just happened.

Most times variations of this nature occur because of dialectical accents of a particular region. And, the Norfolk dialect is unique.

Wikipedia has an excellent list of words and their meanings used by the Norfolk people. If you want to listen to an authentic Norfolk accent, Wikipedia refers to a soap opera called Weavers Green.

Illiteracy was another reason surnames may have become variated. In England, education did not become compulsory until the 1880s. That meant it was up to the parents to have their children attend school. An article on the website, Gale.com, explains:

“In 1800 around 40 percent of males and 60 percent of females in England and Wales were illiterate; by 1900 illiteracy for both sexes had dropped to around 3 percent.”

The first document I found that showed the Aldis variation was Edward’s enlistment in the Royal Navy in 1857.

The second document was Edward and Rebecca’s 1862 marriage record.

The reason that I “officially” changed Edward’s surname to Aldis was that it never reverted to Aldous. On every document, thereafter, the surname was consistently written as Aldis. This included birth, marriage, death, and census records for children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

When this variation occurs in your family tree, it is necessary to record it as such. Yet, you do not want to change the surname of everyone. I kept Edward’s parents’ and siblings’ surname as Aldous. I changed Edward’s, his children, and on down the line to Aldis. That way other genealogists will understand that a variation of the surname occurred in one line of your family tree, but your ancestors are still connected to the original surname.

Spouse:

Rebecca Peacock:

Rebecca was born in 1840 in Upnor, Kent County, England. She died in 1889 in Medway, Kent County, England.

Rebecca’s father was Charles Peacock. He was born in 1800 in Gillingham, Kent County, England. He died in 1851 in Frindsbury, Kent County, England.

Rebecca’s mother was Julia Ward. She was born in 1805 in Rochester, Kent County, England. She died in 1885 in Frindsbury, Kent County, England.

Rebecca had five known brothers and sisters, all born in Frindsbury, Kent County, England:

Phillip Peacock (1837)
Harriet Peacock (1842)
Sarah Peacock (1844)
Hannah Peacock (1848)
Elizabeth Peacock (1851)

Daughter:

Fanny Aldis:

Fanny was born in 1880 in Upnor, Kent County, England. She died in 1883 in Frindsbury, Kent County, England.

Notes:

Here are some links to websites that helped with my Aldous family research:

Aldous.net (Aldous family history and family tree)
Ancestors of Tim Farr, Descendants of Stephen Farr (family tree)
Reid-Schroeder Genealogies (family tree)
The Tree of Us (family tree)
Family Search (family tree website)
The Internet Surname Database (surname meaning and origins)
House of Names (coat of arms)

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also an excellent source for vital records.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. Records should include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

If you have a unique surname, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!