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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: danlan12 on Thursday 25 October 07 19:52 BST (UK)

Title: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: danlan12 on Thursday 25 October 07 19:52 BST (UK)
i have seen some common ones before such as Thos. for Thomas but one of my relatives is referred to as "Job." Trott on all census records that i have for him.

Does anybody have an idea of what this could be short for? I remember my gran saying she thought it may have been short for something religious like Jobiah would anybody agree?

Or was his real name Job!

Thanks for help

Dan

Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: kerryb on Thursday 25 October 07 19:53 BST (UK)
Hi Dan

The fact that there is a full stop after Job. indicates to me that it is short for something else.  I bet it is a biblical name.  A google search might come up with some interesting options.

Kerry  :)
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Subaru on Thursday 25 October 07 20:04 BST (UK)
Just looked on google, it looks like Job is a name itself. 

Rosemary
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: JenB on Thursday 25 October 07 20:04 BST (UK)
Job is a Biblical Name - there is a Book of Job in the Old Testament.

A search of the 1861 census for the christian name of Job resulted in over 10,000 hits, so it was very commonly used.

Jennifer

Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: trystan on Thursday 25 October 07 20:14 BST (UK)
In case you're wondering how "Job" is pronounced (as in a name) it's got a "long o"

So, the name "Job" would rhyme with "Lobe" (as in ear lobe!)

The biblical character went through an awful lot. Poor fella.
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 25 October 07 20:26 BST (UK)
My 2 x great grandfather was a Job. He's caused me real grief and not a bit of comfort  :-\

Gadget
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Subaru on Thursday 25 October 07 20:29 BST (UK)
Isn't there some sort of saying about "Job's comforter" when somebody brings doom and gloom?  It could be a local thing I don't know

Rosemary
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 25 October 07 20:31 BST (UK)
You've not read the Book of Job, Subaru - that's where it comes from. A real bundle of fun, he was!

Gadget  ;D
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Subaru on Thursday 25 October 07 20:33 BST (UK)
Sounds a bit like my brother-in-law :( ;D
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: kerryb on Thursday 25 October 07 20:34 BST (UK)
So we take it then that the full stop after Job. doesn't mean abbreviation??

 ???

Kerry
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: meles on Thursday 25 October 07 20:35 BST (UK)
'Job's comforters' come from the Book of Job. Poor guy was having a bad time (wife and kids destroyed, house flattened, he had boils - I kid you not) and the the bloody neighbours came round and said "We're so sorry. It must have been something you did." So - Job's comforters - those who are no comfort at all!  ;D

meles
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: kerryb on Thursday 25 October 07 20:35 BST (UK)
Meles I know some comforters like that  ::)

Kerry
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: meles on Thursday 25 October 07 20:36 BST (UK)
Sorry, Kelly! If there is a full stop after each of the entries, then Job might well be an abbreviation.

meles
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Maggott on Thursday 25 October 07 20:40 BST (UK)
Hi all 
Sure it's a 'B' ad not an 'H' oddly written?  That would probably give Joh(n) - I've come across it abbreviated to Joh
  Maggott
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: bearkat on Thursday 25 October 07 20:40 BST (UK)
Are you sure that the 'J' isn't an old fashioned 'T'.

Then Tob. = Tobias.
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Subaru on Thursday 25 October 07 20:41 BST (UK)
Yep, like I said, could be my brother-in-law  :(
Meles, you've come out from behind your sofa, won't be for long ;D

Boils????  ???

Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: meles on Thursday 25 October 07 20:43 BST (UK)
Yes, boils. Poor man!

The reason I know all this is that I like classical music, and Vaughan Williams wrote some beautiful music depicting the story. Extracts on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vaughan-Williams-Job-Ralph/dp/B000027FG2/ref=sr_1_2/202-1385148-9651866?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1193341122&sr=1-2

Enjoy!

meles
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 25 October 07 20:53 BST (UK)
The IGI has 18 Job Trotts - all in Somerset.

Gadget
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: kerryb on Thursday 25 October 07 20:54 BST (UK)
Dan

Perhaps you could let us know a reference for one of the census returns so we have a good look

Kerry  :)
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: JenB on Thursday 25 October 07 21:07 BST (UK)
Quote from: meles on Thursday 25 October 07 20:43 BST (UK)
The reason I know all this is that I like classical music, and Vaughan Williams wrote some beautiful music depicting the story.

Agreed this is wonderful music, and I had the privilege of hearing Sir Adrian Boult conduct it at his very last Promenade Concert in 1977.

Jennifer

Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: JenB on Thursday 25 October 07 21:26 BST (UK)
Where are you Dan  ???

The tension of waiting for the reference so we can have a look at the original is playing on my poor old nerves.  ;D

Jennifer
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: meles on Thursday 25 October 07 21:29 BST (UK)
Quote from: JenB on Thursday 25 October 07 21:07 BST (UK)
Agreed this is wonderful music, and I had the privilege of hearing Sir Adrian Boult conduct it at his very last Promenade Concert in 1977.

I was there!  :D

meles

Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Subaru on Thursday 25 October 07 21:30 BST (UK)
Dan's listening to Mele's music ;D
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 25 October 07 21:34 BST (UK)
Maybe he's being comforted by it - Meles and Jennifer are now well away  ;D

It would be nice to get a census reference but maybe we should all go off and hunt for a Job.Trott in any of them  :-\

Gadget
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 25 October 07 21:43 BST (UK)
I've looked at every Job Trott in the English censuses  1841-1901 and can't find any with a dot :-\

Gadget
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Subaru on Thursday 25 October 07 21:48 BST (UK)
There's a Job Trott on the 1891 census with a dot living at Barton upon Irwell in Lancashire.  Looking at other parts of the page, I think the enumerator was a bit too handy with his dots ;D

There's a George just above him also with a dot after it.

Was he born in Somerset Dan?
Title: Re: Name abbreviations on the census
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 25 October 07 21:52 BST (UK)
I  saw that one and just thought it was an extra flourish  ::) He doesn't have one in the other censuses.

They all seem to have been from Somerset as far as I can remember.