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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: zabini on Friday 04 June 10 17:30 BST (UK)

Title: Help please to decipher name
Post by: zabini on Friday 04 June 10 17:30 BST (UK)
I have obtained a great grandfather's name from the London Hospital archives but we are not sure what it is!  Can anyone help to decipher it please.
The first name is Blacke or Blacks (even Black) but not sure at all of the second name.  I think it begins with D and has an i towards the end. Could be Dennison???
Any help would be much appreciated.
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: apwright on Friday 04 June 10 17:35 BST (UK)
Looks like Blacke Dennison to me.

Adrian
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: lizdb on Friday 04 June 10 17:44 BST (UK)
Another vote for Dennison
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: zabini on Friday 04 June 10 17:49 BST (UK)
Gosh.  Such speedy replies. 
I think it's Dennison too. 
I'm also assuming that Dennison is his first name and Black his second name but as I've not been able to find a Dennison Black and definately no Black Dennison's on ancestry, I wondered if I was deciphering it correctly.
Thank you so much for helping.
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: lizdb on Friday 04 June 10 17:51 BST (UK)
WHat sort of dates?
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: zabini on Friday 04 June 10 17:53 BST (UK)
My father-in-law's biological mother was admitted to the West Ham Sick Hospital in February 1919 and gave birth in May 1919.  She gave this name as the father of her son.
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: snaptoo on Friday 04 June 10 18:18 BST (UK)
Should it be Blake rather than Black(e)?

snaptoo
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: josey on Friday 04 June 10 18:22 BST (UK)
Without sounding too pessimistic - it is possible that the name was a confection....

Josey
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: teaurn on Friday 04 June 10 18:25 BST (UK)
Or it could be a nick name perhaps a blacksmith ???
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: zabini on Friday 04 June 10 18:29 BST (UK)
Mmmmm.  Could be any of those possibilities.  His name wasn't on the birth certificate at all - only on the hospital records.
I think this is probably going to remain a mystery.
I really appreciate all the help though.   Many thanks.
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: oldtimer on Friday 04 June 10 18:29 BST (UK)
I read the name as Dewerson...
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: zabini on Friday 04 June 10 18:41 BST (UK)
I've just tried a combination of names including Dewerson but unfortunately, no luck.
Many thanks though.
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: lizdb on Friday 04 June 10 18:45 BST (UK)
Birth
Jul/Aug/Sep 1889
Newcastle upon Tyne 10b 25
William Dennison Blake

is the nearest I can find anywhere!
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: zabini on Friday 04 June 10 19:18 BST (UK)
I found him too and, who knows,  he may be the one.
The putative father's address in 1919 was given as 6 Alfred Street, St Leonards on Sea, Sussex but I have not found any links with this area. The electoral register shows a family by the name of Everest living there at this time.  He could have been lodging with them at some time during the year though.

Ernest's adoptive parents were told he was an officer but I've no idea if that is true.  I haven't found any military records yet.  He was unoficially adopted and so no records exist.
His birth certificate has his name as Leonard Maurice Moore (mother Agnes Moore - a cook).  I've checked her address given on the birth certificate with the electoral register in East Ham for 1919 and an elderly couple, George & Elizabeth Olsen are registered there.  I'm assuming she was staying with them as friends of her family.  I've tried tracing their history to see if there is a link but have found nothing so far.
We have a letter written by his birth mother, Agnes, which is heartbreaking to read.  She sent it just after the baby was adopted.  She was saying that she was sure that he'd be a good boy for them but if they needed any help to look after him, she would love to help.  She promised she wouldn't try to take him away.  I felt she may have lived somewhere near Tunbridge Wells, Kent if she was offering to help with him - again, it's just a guess.
Although we know his mother's name and where he was born, there are too many Agnes Moore's to be able to know which is the correct one.
One other tantalising clue we have about my father-in-law's paternal side is
that he probably descends from northern european ancestors.  My husband passed away with a rare bone marrow condition and when searching for a bone marrow donor, we were told he had a rare tissue type and that they would expect to find it amongst northern european donors. 
It's intriguing!
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: dobfarm on Friday 04 June 10 19:32 BST (UK)
Looks like Backe Dewison to me
Title: Re: Help please to decipher name
Post by: ainsley on Saturday 05 June 10 22:15 BST (UK)
What about Blake Dawson?

Just how I read it

ainsley :)