What is the truth about our third forename - West. This has been carried forward for a number of generations by the male members of our family.
The story I had been told was that The West family and the Milford family were both involved in the river piloting business, the West side in Bristol and the Milford side in Cardiff. A Milford married the last in the line of West's and in order to keep the West line going the name was hyphenated - West-Milford. The West family then became bankrupt and so the West name was dropped. However, the name was to be kept 'alive' by the male members of the family taking it as a third forename.
But is this true?
Without doubt many members of the family were involved in the dockyards in Bristol and Cardiff, and a West married a Milford. But pilots?
If anyone knows any other story, please let me know.
