Any sources to confirm last name at birth for this man? [closed]

Question

When this man enlisted in the AIF in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in WW1 he claimed his name was Walter Gale, born Isle of Man in 1890 (he may have lied about his age, but he's in the "sweet spot" for being accurate). He gave as NOK his mother Margaret Gale in Bootle, Liverpool England.

Later records (repatriation, marriage/death) have his name as Walter Keig. His mother's name, according to his death registration was Margaret nee Christian & his father Thomas Keig.

My problem is I can't locate him in either Isle of Man or England around 1890 under any of Gale/Keig/Christian.

Any help identifying him in Isle of Man or UK records prior to WW1 would be appreciated.

Comments

There is a Walter Gale, born 1887, with father Thomas, and mother Margaret, on the Isle of Man in 1901 census return. 
The 1891 census has mother as Eleanor.

edited to update information

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Thanks Melanie - will explore further. Obviously I didn't search wide enough.

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Name: Walter Keig
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 4 Apr 1887
Birth Place: Fistard, Rushen, Isle of Man
Father: Thomas Keig
Mother: Emily Clark
FHL Film Number: 454967
Reference ID: im 144, p 151, #218

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Emily Clark Keig died 22 Jun 1889

Thomas Keig and Emily Clark were married 9 Feb 1882

Thomas Keig married Eleanor Gale 31 Oct 1889

The Margaret Gale of the 1901 census was born Margaret Christian, married firstly Joseph Pierey, who died 1893.
Margaret Gale was in the 1911 census with a Piercy (should be Pierey) child, and son John Robert Gale.

There are Gales, Keigs, and Maddrells all mixed together in the 1891 census.

edited to correct spelling

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To further muddy the waters --

Name: Margaret Pierey
Marriage Date: 6 Feb 1898
Marriage Place: Braddan, Isle of Man
Spouse: Thomas Keig
Biography: Married: Thomas Keig. Groom's marital status: Widowed. Groom's father: Thomas Gale. Bride's marital status: Widowed. Bride's father: Daniel Christian. (L22540)

https://www.imuseum.im/search/people/

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Eleanor Gale Keig was buried 24 Aug 1897.

So the Margaret Christian of Walter's death certificate was actually his 2nd stepmother.  And it seems, for whatever reason, the family used the last name Gale some of the time, and Keig (which was the actual last name as best I can find) some of the rest of the time.

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I've updated the census information in my first comment.  (I was making an incorrect presumption that the Eleanor of 1891 was Margaret of 1901, because people often used different names on census returns -- but there were actually THREE wives, at different times.)

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However strange it seems, Thomas Keig and his Keig children were using the last name of his recently deceased second wife in the 1901 census.  
The John Robert Gale of the 1911 census was born John Robert Keig 31 July 1898, Douglas, Isle of Man.

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Wow! Much more complicated than I imagined. I was looking for an illegitimate birth. Thanks Melanie.

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Don't believe it was - not from everything I have found.  I think it's just a case of name switching for some reason unknown to us.

Margaret Christian Keig Gale was born 17 Nov 1861 - at least according to the 1939 register, when she was living with John Robert Gale (as Robert) and his family in Bootle, Lancashire.

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Oh, and -- you'll need to change that Last Name at Birth to Keig, with Gale as another last name, because it seems in Australia he reverted to his birth name.

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I'm 90% sure this is your Walter --

"Australia, South Australia, Immigrants Ship Papers, 1849-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGX5-43CF : 16 August 2019), Walter Gale, ; citing Emigration, Australia, name citing Beltana, Attorney General of South Australia, Adelaide.

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I'm becoming convinced that Joseph "Pierey" should be "Piercy", despite what it says here https://www.imuseum.im/search/people/

I can't find a birth registration for Margaret Christian's daughter with Joseph as either Piercy or Pierey, but every other source I have seen spells it Piercy.

Answer 1

A lot of the Gales of IOM also used the spelling Gell or Gill. Maybe try using that.

Comments

Thanks Elizabeth - more common earlier - by the 1890's most of those variations had settled.

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It depends on how the name was HEARD, not just how it was actually spelt.