A Deed Poll is a legal document - not a certificate. It is a form of legal
contract but it differs from legal contracts between two or more parties in
that it only concerns one person (and it is only signed by that person in the
presence of a witness). A Deed Poll legally binds the person who signs it to a
particular course of action as detailed on the Deed Poll document.
Although Deed Poll documents are used for various purposes relating to an
individual or a company legally committing themselves to doing something, they
have one generally accepted meaning, that is, a change of name. However, the
correct legal name for a deed that has been drawn up to change someone's name
is a Deed of Change of Name (but more commonly known as a Deed Poll).
A Deed Poll for a change of name contains three declarations and by executing
the Deed Poll (signing, dating and having your signing witnessed) you are
legally committing yourself to:
Abandoning the use of your former name;
Using your new name only at all times;
Requiring all persons to address you by your new name only.
Why is it called a Deed Poll?
A deed is a written legal agreement that has been signed and delivered (shown
to all concerned parties). Poll is an old English word used to describe a
legal document that had its edges cut (polled) so they were straight. This was
done to visually distinguish between a deed signed by one person (a polled deed
- hence the term Deed Poll) and a deed signed by more than one person (an
indenture), which had an edge indented or serrated. Interestingly, indentures
were originally written twice (side by side) on one piece of parchment, which
was then torn down the middle and each half given to each party. The
impossibility of matching the tear was a guard against forgery.
Deed Poll documents for a change of name can be traced back to 1851 and can be
seen at the National Archives, which is situated at Kew in Richmond, Surrey.
From: http://www.ukdps.co.uk/WhatIsADeedPoll.html
This is info from a UK site, but I am in Australia where the legal system is
based on the British. My Google research has shown that in America it might be
called Master Title Deed, yet I see that Bill Clinton's father changed his name
by Deed Poll from Blythe to Clinton.
(http://www.history.malc.eu/Deed-Poll-USA.event.html)
Cheers
Jan
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Vary [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, 17 July 2011 10:19
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [LegacyUG] Name Change (not by marriage)
I may be going slightly off topic here, but what is a deed poll? I've never
heard the term before. I take it is has something to do with name changes?
Where are you located? It sounds British.
Bob
-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Roberts [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2011 10:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [LegacyUG] Name Change (not by marriage)
My late first husband changed his name by deed poll - I only ever knew him by
his 'new' name. That became my surname when I married him, and is my
daughter's surname. I have entered him in Legacy under his 'new' name, with
appropriate notes and a Deed Poll event. But no, as far as I can see there is
no way to differentiate between the names in relation to time frames i.e.
before and after. I look at it like entering a woman by her maiden name (only
sort of in reverse) - one name is used throughout the report.
Cheers
Jan
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert E. Carneal [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, 16 July 2011 8:01
To: [email protected]
Subject: [LegacyUG] Name Change (not by marriage)
Not to open a can of worms, but I have a related question. This is not
a gender changing, but a gender-name changing. I.e. I have an ancestor
born as Mark Paul Carneal. He decided "Mark" was too common a name, so
he changed to a gender neutral name. He changed his name to Kelly
Jessie Carneal. Everyone who didn't know him assumed he was a girl!
Now my question, is there a way to indicate a name change in Legacy so
that notes referring to him *before* his name change used Mark Paul,
but notes referring to him *after* his name change uses Kelly Jessie?
I doubt it, at least not one I could find. Anyone else?
Thank you.
Robert
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