Hi Sheilia, Hannah Wiseman Ditcham, was a descent from John Wiseman, his Mother was Ann Wiseman, and his fathers forename and surname was never disclosed.

He took it upon himself to claim the name Ditcham, as it is believed that a Ditcham was his father.

His wife, Sarah Pratt went as Wiseman Ditcham, until he died, and then returned to Wiseman again.

John and Sara's children used the name Ditcham, and eventually, after his death, most resumed to the Wiseman name,
Although often registered as a Ditcham, the family had never legally changed their name to Ditcham, and so a new line of Ditcham people started.
I am doing the Ditcham one name globally, and am endeavouring to prove that John, although officially being born base child, I feel sure that someone out there must have some knowledge through letters (from bibles) etc. that mention his name.
James Ditcham was proved not to be the father, although the area he lived in was among other Wiseman families, and he had a William Wiseman working for him. (Sadly No proof of any relationship to Ann though.)
Hopefully someone out there may know moe than me, because if not, then a whole line of Diitcham people, are are not blood realted to the Ditcham one name line, has been created.

Having just informed anther family that the Ditcham, they thought was a Ditcham, had no proof that he was, and no source of his taking the name, just by changing his name from his own to the Ditcham name, and registering it on the Census.
Some say, it was the thought of getting money from the will advertised when an Angel married a Ditcham, and the Angel Millions came up for grabs.
I have found no proof of this.
Just that the change of name,was often picked up, by the parents having a different surname, and no adoption or otherse facts have been found, also appearing on the Census, when they were not on earlier census, caused the researchers to look for their Parents and spent a lot of time finding them.
A lot of the original Johnn's (born in 1810)descendants did revert to their original surname of Wiseman.
Thought you may be interested,
I am also doing the Wiseman Line, and trying to get proof that John Wiseman 's father was a Ditcham, i belong to an affiliated Family History and one name Society, and am accessing all the infomation I can with their help. Hopefully, one day I will.







Of course, that may not have happened.