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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: parky96 on Wednesday 25 November 09 15:36 GMT (UK)
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Can anyone help me work out the name of this person(female) who was a witness to a marriage back in 1915 in Wigton, cumberland? Have been searching for a while with no luck ???
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...Well it obviously looks like Guan but I have never heard of such a name!
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There is a marriage of a Guan Smith on FreeBMD, in Uttoxeter in 1882.
Ken
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I have been looking through some records from the area to see if it could be similar to something else - needless to say i havnt been able to come up with anything.
I will have a look at the one you have come up with in Uttoxeter.
As far as i am aware they are not related but with it being such an usual name i just had to try and find out what i could about them.
Thanks for your help ;)
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I see she signed with her mark.
If you say Guan out loud it sounds like June
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Forget that! Theere aren't ant Junes on FreeBMD :-\
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Does look like Guan but could it have been Gwen (and writer couldn't spell it)?
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Looks like Guan! Could be a strange spelling of Jan, Gwen (as aghadowey has said), Guyan (which I've actually only seen as a surname)...
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Wonder if the witness name is Guan Smith his mark?
There is a HUBERT GUAN SMITH age 27 in Ashton under Lyne Lancashire in the 1911 census
Jean
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Hi everyone,
could it be Joan Smith? There is one in Wigton born 1857 in 1911 census?
best wishes
heywood
just thought.. or pehaps Joanne?
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I put a few different spellings of the name in searches and i found it is popular in Chinese names(guan). Although i am kind of leaning towards the name meaning something else as it was wrote by someone other than that person. A few show up in America too(male names).
I will keep trawling through the records thanks again for all your help :)
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Hi Parky,
the person should show up somewhere in census records though. At the moment, I am thinking it is a mispelling but again, it is unusual for 1915 when there was more education. :-\
heywood
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In a book of English Christian Names(not looked at for years) it states, regarding Guenevere......."In Scotland it became Guanor, Vanora, or Wander. Gaenor is still used in N Wales"
Lots of friends, as a witness was most likely to be, or a relative, could have a shortened name or a nickname. Where do you think I got Kim from?
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I like those names, Kim - you can see the origins of the name which was popular a few years back - Gaynor, I think there.
Parky,
Were the bride and groom both from Wigton? Were they young people? Any Smith connections?
heywood
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So far i believe they were both from the wigton area(which covers a wide area, lots of hamlets and villages). Havnt really gone any further back at the moment as the mans surname is quite a common one up here. They were both young when they got married the groom being 21 and the bride was 23. I will try to find out a bit more this week. The later family had a bit of a habit of naming their children one name and then changing them same names to something else - so that has been interesting in trying to find people. :o
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1911 shows no Smiths with names beginning with 'Gu' inCumberland. There is a Gwendoline aged 7 yrs in Cockermouth but she would only be 11 yrs in 1915 for the marriage.
Nothing much for elsewhere either.
At the moment, my money is on Joan- really because nothing else shows up and she can't write. :-\
However, she may be nothing at all to do with your couple -she could be just a passer by.
Please let us know if you find out.
heywood
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Will do, getting side tracked at the moment on my Mothers family, but will try to get back to this line shortly :)