RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: millerina on Tuesday 28 March 06 13:38 BST (UK)
-
Can anybody please suggest what Nell might be short for?
I am trying to find a missing sibling of Gt Gt Grandmother, Kate Wraight, and all I know was that she was always known as "Nell". She had a sister Hep, who I have found out was called Hephzibah, I can't find any trace of Nell though. She probably would have been born in Faversham, Kent in the 1870s or 1880s, and her parents would have been George and Betsey Wraight. I know she definatley existed (though I can find no trace of her!), I have a photograph of her with her sister and children, signed by them on the back.
Any ideas what other names I could search for her under?
millerina ;D
-
I have a couple of Nell's in my family. One was Ellen and one was Mary Ellen.
Susan
-
Nell was often short for Helen or Helena
Linda
-
The 1881 census has both a Hephzibah WRAIGHT and a Nellie WRAIGHT, both born Faversham, Kent. Nellie is with her parents, while Hephzibah is visiting her aunt/uncle.
kind regards, Arranroots ;)
-
Modify - just realised the parents don't match!!
RG11/969/7/19
WRAIGHT Frederick G H M 28 - carpenter joiner
Emma W M 24
Lizzie dau 3
Nellie dau 1
Address: 8 Westgate Rd, Faversham
All b Faversham
Looks like Nellie is a name in its own right in this case.
-
Thanks for the tips, I'll try all those names. ;D
Arranroots,
Thanks for having a look for her. ;D The Hephzibah Wraight is the same one, she seems to be the only person with that name I have ever come across, so she is easy to find! I don't think that the Nellie Wraight is my "Nell" though (if only it were that easy! ;D), her parents would have George and Betsey Wraight, I have found all the family in 1881 apart from Nell. Her sister Kate was born in 1875 in Faversham.
millerina
-
Reaalised too late that I had the wrong family!
There is a sister Elizabeth S born 1874 on the 1881 census too. Wonder if it is her? That would be an unusual abbreviation!
Are you sure that Nell is a sister? Could it be a cousin or a sister in law, perhaps?
A ;)
-
Arranroots,
I had also started to wonder whether their sister Elizabeth was the mysterious "Nell", I just can't work out how "Nell" could have come from "Elizabeth"! ;D I am pretty sure that Hep and Nell were sisters, though it might be worth checking to see if Hep and Kate have any cousins or sisters in law with that name.
Thanks,
millerina ;D
-
Hi
My great aunt Nell appears in 1891 as Elizabeth and 1901 as Ellen ??? - definitely the same person.
Ancestors like to be awkward :D
Jan ;)
-
Jan,
Totally agree that ancestors like to be awkward! :D ;D
Perhaps Elizabeth is Nell then ???, I'll have to see what I can find out about her!
millerina
-
Nell could also be short for Eleanor
-
Thanks for the suggestion skb, sadly though I haven't been able to find any births in kent for an Eleanor, Helen or Helena Wraight.
millerina
-
According to the book on names that I have here, Ellen, Eleanor, Elaine, Eileen, Aileen, Eilidh, Elen as well as many other simiar names, are all variants of Helen.
Nell and Nellie are considered to be the pet forms of both Helen and Eleanor - and that's from one who ought to know ;)
Apparently Nell Gwynne - perhaps the most famous bearer of the name - was actually Elinor.
Nell
-
Thanks Nell! ;D I thought you would probably know! ;) ;D That gives me some more names to look for now. ;D
millerina
-
Also names that have Ellen with them, like Mary Ellen, Sarah Ellen, Irene Ellen.
-
i have a nell in my family it was short for helen elizabeth, the end of one name and the beginning of another!
and then to confuse matters all members of that branch seem to use their middle names as christian names!
-
Many thanks for all the suggestions ;D
It seems that names (and ancestors!) can be very confusing things! :D
millerina :)
-
I have found Nellie Wraight on the births, marriages and deaths register.
Registered as NELLIE WRAIGHT born Faversham 1879 and registered in qtr july, aug sept 1879 GRO no 2a 811 so you should be able to apply for her birth cert. This is a really easy process thro the GRO website and costs only £7 - takes about 3 weeks max usually to get cert back.
-
Arranroots,
I had also started to wonder whether their sister Elizabeth was the mysterious "Nell", I just can't work out how "Nell" could have come from "Elizabeth"!
Names are a confusing thing. I spent 14 years looking for Delia Davis just to find out Delia is a nickname for Bridget, and viola, I have her. Very frustrating.
Kathleen
-
I have found Nellie Wraight on the births, marriages and deaths register.
Registered as NELLIE WRAIGHT born Faversham 1879 and registered in qtr july, aug sept 1879 GRO no 2a 811 so you should be able to apply for her birth cert. This is a really easy process thro the GRO website and costs only £7 - takes about 3 weeks max usually to get cert back.
Thank you for having a look for my Nell for me, she is still causing me a lot of confusion! Unfortunately I think that that Nellie Wraight is the one on the 1881 census with parents Frederick and Emma, it might be worth ordering the cert though just in case, they might even be related somehow!
Thanks for your help!
millerina :)
-
I still can't figure out why my husband's great aunt Rose was called Nell!
-
You got it right there Millerina, with you calling her "my Nell" in your last post. Nell is usually short for Ellen in a time when people referred to their family members as "Mine .....(insert name). When people said "Mine Ellen" it sounded like "My Nellen" and the name grew from there. I know people in Manchester who still use "Our" before loved one's names to distinguish them from others with the same name i.e. when half the universe was called John, you could distinguish your little brother John from John the blacksmith down the road by calling your little brother "Our John".
I think Nell was a name in it's own right, but I think it was probably more popular as a nickname for Ellen or Eleanor.
The nickname Nan or Nancy came from "Mine Anne" And Ned is "Mine Edward".
Cheers,
Kez :)