Sharing names - Tom's story truth or fiction?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 98811

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, animal lover 
<theanimallover_11 at y...> wrote:

Mandy:
>   If indeed Miss Marvolio 
> was unwed and died in childbirth the child would have been wisked 
> strait to an orphage, no questions asked.  If she was wed, and he 
> abandoned her it would have been easy for Tom Riddle Sr.'s family 
to 
> have arranged for baby Tom to have been packed away.   It might 
seem 
> impossible to us now, but very easy 50 years ago.
 
animallover_11:
> 
> I don't think that we can assume that she died during child birth 
because she named him...there is no way 50 years ago she would have 
known she was having a boy.  Also I believe that in the quote it is 
stated that Sr. left before Jr was born.  If that is the case this 
also proves that mom must have lived long enough to name the child.  

Geoff:

(1) A piece of canon:

'"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" 
said Dippet curiously.
"yes, sir," said Riddle reddening slightly.
"You are Muggle-born?"
"Half-blood, sir," said Riddle, "Muggle fathr, witch mother."
"And are both your parents - ?"
"My mother died just after I was born, sir. they told me at the 
orphanage she lived just long enough to name me: Tom after my father, 
Marvolo after my grandfather."'

(COS "The Very Secret Diary" p.182 UK edition)

(2) Why the reference to Miss Marvolo? I assume that Marvolo was one 
of grandfather's first names.

(3) There was a lot of discussion on this matter some months ago. The 
following messages (and their follow-ups etc.) might help. 83792, 
83878, 86830.