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Changing One's Name

Changing One's Name image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
November
Year
1903
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Method Is a Rather Costly One In Great Britain.

Many people change their names without asking permission from any one or paying any fees whatever. This is certainly the simplest way of getting rid of a name you do not appreciate, but it is apt to prove expensive. For instance, such a course is strictly illegal, and the government could step in at any time and demand the payment of a heavy fine; and, furthermore, if the individual who changed his name without consulting anybody happened to come in for a large sum of money unexpectedly the authorities would decline to recognize his claim if he had failed to pay the fees due to the heralds' college for assuming a name not given in baptism.

There are two ways of changing your name, and they are both rather costly. One method is to have a private act of parliament passed for your benefit, This course is generally followed only by peers and people to whom money is no object, for it costs £750. This nearly all goes in fees to minor officials for bringing your case before the legislature, inasmuch as the actual passing of the bill costs practically nothing. And the only advantage you will gain from this expensive way of going to work is that inquiries will not be made into your past history, which by the other alternative are unavoidable.

The usual method adopted for legally changing the name is somewhat tedious, if less costly, and you must have very substantial reasons for so doing or your claim will not be allowed. If, for instance, you inherit property which makes it conditional that you change your name you can do so on payment of about £50 in fees.

In the first place you must communicate with the home secretary, who, if he considers your claim valid, will refer you to the heralds' college and the king of arms. These officials will make full inquiries into your history and satisfy themselves beyond question that your reason for wishing to make the change is in every way legitimate. This done, they will again communicate with the home secretary, who will lay your claim before the king, for he alone has power to authorize the change being made. eventually, after some months of waiting, you wil be informed by the heralds' college that his majesty has approved of your claim and the change of name is published in a remote corner of the London Gazette.

Finally it is worthy of mention that no one can hold a public appointment under government who has changed his name without the consent of the king, however brilliant may have been his services to the country. The reason for this is rather curious. The name given you at your baptism is in theory ratified by the sovereign as head of the church, and by assuming another on your own responsibility you are deliberately breaking a law of the land. - London tit-Bits.