I’m fascinated by churchyards; they are full of lichen for one thing, but also I is interesting and sometimes sad to read the inscriptions on the gravestones. I saw the memorial to Giles Midsummer Williams, and I thought what a wonderful name he had. I wondered if maybe his mother had been a Miss Midsummer, or maybe his grandmother
I discovered that he was the son of James Williams who was a carriage builder and beer house keeper, and Mary. It was a large family, John, Harry, Lewis and Mary, Giles, Thomas, Kate and William, Lucy and Peter. They were a hard-working family, in 1881, one of the boys was a smith, one was a painter and another was a donkey-driver… the family lived in Weston-super-Mare which is famous for its donkeys on the beach which give rides to the holiday makers and employment to local people! Giles was a wheelchair driver… and I don’t think it means a wheelchair as we know it, but a sort of carriage with a simple chair – maybe pulled by donkeys! By 1911 he was engaged in a photographic business, with Emily assisting him.
I can no trace of Midsummer used as a surname, so maybe James and Mary just decided they liked the name and gave it to baby Giles.
Lois Elsden 
I don’t have a middle name. My father said that he couldn’t afford to give me one. A little joke of his. When I applied for a Visa card years ago they insisted that I must have one. I got away with just an initial. Often wondered with all the couples gettiing married nowadays having hyphenated last names where it will all end up if their daughters and sons insist on doing the same. Boggles the mind, mine anyway. Or am I missing something. Help me out Lois!
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You could give yourself the most glorious middle name! I just have Elizabeth… I don’t know why. I don’t know if it is the same in Canada, but here you can call yourself anything and have that as your name as long as you tell every one like banks, income tax, social security etc, you don’t have to do it by dee poll… although lots of people do!
My kids have my maiden name and my husband’s name… as you say what will happen if they marry hyphenated people themselves… this sounds like a comedy waiting to be written!
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As the joke goes, I am my own grandpa.
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Oh you are so funny – I nearly spat tea all over the keyboard! I really did actually laugh out loud!
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