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Some Special Interests => Travelling People => Topic started by: Sloe Gin on Wednesday 08 April 09 17:22 BST (UK)

Title: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: Sloe Gin on Wednesday 08 April 09 17:22 BST (UK)
While I was looking on IGI for baptisms to a couple who may be connected with my Warwickshire Davis family, I found this one:

1819, Fenny Compton, to Robert and Sarah Claydon
H. Foy Claydon (female)

Has anyone come across this name before?  I'm guessing it's abbreviated, but what might it be in full .... or was it misheard and written down wrong?
Title: Re: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: jackiepb on Thursday 16 April 09 19:29 BST (UK)
could it be Sinfoy? which was quite often used as a Traveller name?
Title: Re: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: Sloe Gin on Thursday 16 April 09 21:01 BST (UK)
That's a thought.  Thanks.  I haven't seen the original entry yet, so no idea how clear the writing is.  It's an odd one, isn't it?
Title: Re: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: rebekahm28 on Sunday 03 May 09 15:45 BST (UK)
Ive come across Foy, in fact a Foy witnessed one of my ancestors marriages. Its a gypsy name, definately.   AHA, just realised you said forename!!  Mine was a surname.....could one of the parents had someone in the family with Foy as a surname, and thus gave it their daughter as a name?
Title: Re: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: Sloe Gin on Sunday 03 May 09 16:00 BST (UK)
It's certainly a possibility, although it doesn't feature at any of the baptisms of siblings that I've found.  But how strange to give an initial rather than a first name - it may just be a garbled transcription.  I must try and get a look at the original some time.
Title: Re: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: Sloe Gin on Wednesday 02 November 11 19:25 GMT (UK)
The original is now available on Ancestry, but I'm not much the wiser!  Could it be St Foy, which might be the vicar's idea of Sinfoy?  It's the top entry here - I've left a few more in for comparison.



Title: Re: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: PrueM on Wednesday 02 November 11 19:41 GMT (UK)
I would say it's "St Foy" :)

It could be that the vicar, having not heard the name "Sinfoy" before, wrote it as he would write the name that is pronounced "Sinjun", but which is actually "St John".  That's my guess, anyway.

Cheers
Prue
Title: Re: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: Sloe Gin on Wednesday 02 November 11 19:53 GMT (UK)
I think that's probably it. 

If anyone comes across a Sinfoy Claydon or Clayton married or buried, please do give me a shout!   ;D
Title: Re: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: jackiepb on Wednesday 02 November 11 20:37 GMT (UK)
several Traveller Claydons are listed on northants-familytree website, including a Robert baptism - maybe Sinfoys father?
http://www.northants-familytree.net/travellers.htm
Title: Re: Help with strange forename please!
Post by: Sloe Gin on Wednesday 02 November 11 20:50 GMT (UK)
Thanks Jackie - this could be him, something to bear in mind.

Robert CLAYDON s/o James & Elizabeth    3 Jan 1796  Boddington  a travelling chair bottomer