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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: NikiKL on Monday 03 December 12 22:01 GMT (UK)
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My whole family, and many of the branches would love to know the history of our strange surname.
There was even a genealogist hired at one point in the 80's. It all rests on one man, Edward Wones.
We KNOW he died in 1820 in a mining explosion in Hursthill, Staffs
We KNOW he married in Shelve, Shrops 1784, and we KNOW his bride's name.
We believe he was born in 1760, or thereabouts. We suspect Yorks.
We know of 9 children and their birthplace, marriages, descendants and deaths
The marriage records in Shelve were apparently lost in a flood, and I understand the same goes for his children's birth certs.
I would love to unlock our puzzle, does anyone have any bright ideas??
Thanks :)
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Not sure if this helps but Wone is old English for "Wunian" which means Dwelling, Abode etc, seems to have German & Dutch connections also
On my great grandmothers side the family name refers to people of the fields of golden flowers, that goes back to Anglo Saxon times, all very interesting stuff
Bit of a kick start anyways, I'm sure others will be of assistance
James
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Wone seems a very unusual name.
I would guess that researching it may be difficult as it might be prone to be mis-spelled/copied/transcribed.
Any idea which part of Yorkshire your man might have been born?
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The marriage records in Shelve were apparently lost in a flood, and I understand the same goes for his children's birth certs.
I would love to unlock our puzzle, does anyone have any bright ideas??
Thanks :)
According to the Bishops Castle Local History Centre, records and information for Shelve are still in existance. See here http://www.bchrc.co.uk/downloads/LHC%20Resources%20Index%20full%20version%202.pdf
Though you may already know everything they contain?
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What is the earliest instance of the surname Wone/s that you have found? It may be that the family were immigrants, and as already suggested, very likely to have been interpreted in various ways, even with a first letter other than W.
Have you checked with GOONS?
The IGI shows quite of number of Wones in Shropshire - and Wone appears in Lincolnshire/Lancashire.
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I see the National Archives has the name going as far back as 1510 to a vicar in Cornwall
I also found the surname in Norfolk which often buried foreign sailor/military men
http://www.doun.org/transcriptions/surnames.php?letter=O
23 - ONES / WONES - 20 / WONNE - 1 /WONNS - 3 /WONS - 2 /
Also, I wouldn't write off ONG and ONNG as being ones too.
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You may like to see if this profiler website has a note of your surname
http://worldnames.publicprofiler.org/
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In case the surname arrived here from Hanover (Germany) when James of Scotland was given Hanover as a dowry for the hand of his grand daughter Sophie I did a search in the white pages of the German Telephone book.
Enter "WONES" result was 37 private addresses for "VONES"
enter "WONE" result was 84 private addresses for "FOHNE"
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Enter your surname here:
http://gbnames.publicprofiler.org/
:)
I have a 2004 edition of the Genealogical Research Directory and the contact details for the surname Wones is:
Mrs Rosemary Weir
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This person may be able to provide you with more information.
Some or all of these details may have changed since 2004. If so, a google search of key words may throw up some more recent details.
[to the moderators - as these contact details were published in a commercially available publication, I trust it is acceptable to repeat them here on rc]
(*) Moderator Comment: Rootschat policy does not permit posting personal details regardless of what is posted on other sites.
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I imagine that there can be various theories about the origins of surnames, even similar sounding surnames may have completely different origins. You may never get a definitive answer to your question.
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Interesting family name, after a bit of research it shows origins also to Anglo Saxon, 7th century, Wan, as in Pale, first record of the written name seems to be a Warner Wan dated 1297 on the subsidy rolls of Yorkshire, but I suspect you're already aware of this
James
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I was looking into the name Wones (i won't say why as the people concerned are still alive) but found that most of the recent people with that surname live in Norfolk).
Could Edward Wones be from that area?
By the way, i found the marriage I was looking for was down as Dones on bmd.
Good luck with your hunting!
Jo
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wow, thanks for all these replys everyone!
I won't be able to answer your comments in this sitting, school run in a mo!
but to be going on with, I've met Rosemary Weir, lovely lady...my Dad (also interested in our tree) put me in touch with her and she gave me a locket that belonged to my G G grandmother.
There are a Wones clan in Norfolk, I haven't found the connection between them and "my" lot yet...I live in hope.
There is a Simon Wones, who went to USA and we suspect he may be the brother of Edward, which gave us the "yorkshire" idea. Lots of Woneses crop up in the records office I visited with dad, up in Yorkshire, name escapes me right now, argh!
All this is really rusty to me, I had my 3rd baby 9 months ago so all my tree hunting has gone on hold. I will get back to this thread really shortly as there are some suggestions here I haven't tried! If you are particularly interested I do have a tree on ancestry. I no longer have a valid subscription though, so I may be limited with searches.
Catch you all later I hope!
NIki :)
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The marriage records in Shelve were apparently lost in a flood, and I understand the same goes for his children's birth certs.
I would love to unlock our puzzle, does anyone have any bright ideas??
Thanks :)
According to the Bishops Castle Local History Centre, records and information for Shelve are still in existance. See here http://www.bchrc.co.uk/downloads/LHC%20Resources%20Index%20full%20version%202.pdf
Though you may already know everything they contain?
I am relatively new to this quest. I have only been told that nothing survived the floods. This is good news though, it means there is a glimmer of hope again. I have no idea who has been to the records office...but i'm trying to find out.
This is a message I posted some time back on this site...
"I believe her name was Mary. She married a William Wones. She was supposedly born in Carperby (her son is believed to be Edward Wones born c1760) And she is believed to be buried in Aysgarth. I have no dates for her. "
This one could also be a link
"Simon Cherry born c1757 marries Mary Wones born c1756 (Muker?)"
Cornwall has also been guessed at as another place of birth, based on the fact that many limestone miners moved from Cornwall to Minsterley.
I have searched GOONS before, but had forgotten the answer as to whether our name came up, I re-searched and got nothing.
I did search the ONS list, and got 1 result, but honestly, I don't know what that means!?
On the origins of the name, I had heard "Old English for homestead, and Wan meaning pale" - so frustrating that it's so easily misspelled, or it would have been infinitely easier to trace :)
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The marriage records in Shelve were apparently lost in a flood, and I understand the same goes for his children's birth certs.
I would love to unlock our puzzle, does anyone have any bright ideas??
Thanks :)
According to the Bishops Castle Local History Centre, records and information for Shelve are still in existance. See here http://www.bchrc.co.uk/downloads/LHC%20Resources%20Index%20full%20version%202.pdf
Though you may already know everything they contain?
Ok, so after looking through my notes. The flood seems to have been Minsterley, which is where Edward Wones' children all seem to have been born (I have also seen Westbury on other records - about an hours walk between them.) He was in fact married in Shelve, and I have notes that he has very neat handwriting - unusual for a miner?
So, the flood could still be an issue, would be grateful if you could advise how I can search whether any records are in existence from the Westbury/Minsterley area.
If records of Edward were destroyed, does that really mean our search can't continue without the words; needle, and haystack being relevant??
Many thanks
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Transcriptions of the Minsterley Parish Registers exist and are online here http://www.melocki.org.uk/salop/Westbury.html#vIX
There are several Wones entries for baptisms and burials of the Wones children. :)
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Thank you
I've been through that and the only Wones child I can't find is the last, Hannah c1809...many of them are recorded as Woans. I will try to track her down when I have more time.
Does the lack of any names on this list that we are unaware of mean that it is pointless visiting the area? My dad is talking of visiting Shrewsbury.
My Wones' were close with the Nailer/Nailor/Naylor family, I wonder if Edward may have been a god parent to their children. when did baptisms, or death records for that matter start to contain more information?
I also wonder whether is impossible to trace him in a mining community. I've made (futile?) steps towards info on this lead.
I'm also doubting the lead that he could be form the Yorkshire area. The link being a Simon Wones. He was a teacher, who emigrated to USA. But why would a teacher be sibling to a miner (allbeit a literate one)?
Oh! Also, it would be nice to know where he is buried, any ideas how I can track that down (he died at Hursthill, Dudley)?
I'm so grateful for the help i'm receiving here, it seems to be the only way forward right now. :)
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A cheeky bump ;D
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Haven't given up, busy time of year, just comparing info, found an Edward Wones married to Elizabeth Compston in 1784, Shropshire, children, Ann 1785, Edward 1786, Mary 1787, Martha 1793, Hannah a bit vague but is a reference to a Hannah Wones 1809 at Shropshire
Also a Hannah Wones married at Staffordshire & died at Staffordshire, connection to the Gray family, still looking
Am I sort of on the right track or way off?
James
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Haven't given up, busy time of year, just comparing info, found an Edward Wones married to Elizabeth Compston in 1784, Shropshire, children, Ann 1785, Edward 1786, Mary 1787, Martha 1793, Hannah a bit vague but is a reference to a Hannah Wones 1809 at Shropshire
Also a Hannah Wones married at Staffordshire & died at Staffordshire, connection to the Gray family, still looking
Am I sort of on the right track or way off?
James
Hi James,
You got him, that's my GGGG grandfather.
Hannah was another child of his, I believe she was born in Minsterley too, but didn't find her on the IGI the other day when I was double checking what I have, must have another look. Quite focused on Edward at the mo because he is just so difficult to track down.
I don't know if you can see this, but you are welcome to look if you are interested?
http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/13948831/person/24798860
Hannah married David Westwood, and the name Gray is familiar, but wouldn't remember why until I checked all my notes. I think it's a name one of my fellow Wones researchers is interested in.
I understand all about the busy time of year too.
I'm grateful for any input, thanks :)
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Did a bit of scratching around, if you're looking for Edward Wones final resting place I'd say he would have to be in the Hereford Diocese area, will need some leg work by the looks, phone calls, personal visits for records etc, there's about 29 churches, Church of All Saints at Shelve might be a good start, though according to blurb it was built in 1839 over a Medieval structure, whatever that was, there's another at Stretton not far away, ran out of time on looking at it's history, if you can establish which church they were married at I'd think that's where he's buried
James
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Hi Niki
Just as a bit of collateral info:
National Burial Indx V 2 -
No entries 1538 - 1760
4 entries 1761 - 1825 3 at St Bartholomew, Madden and 1 at All Saints Sedgley, Nr Wolverhampton
No entries 1826 -1860
1 entry 1861 -2003 at Bourne, Lincs
Let me know if you want details of these?
Of course not all cemetries have been 'done' either.
There is a later edition out now but this little bit of info may help?
NDRFT
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Did a bit of scratching around, if you're looking for Edward Wones final resting place I'd say he would have to be in the Hereford Diocese area, will need some leg work by the looks, phone calls, personal visits for records etc, there's about 29 churches, Church of All Saints at Shelve might be a good start, though according to blurb it was built in 1839 over a Medieval structure, whatever that was, there's another at Stretton not far away, ran out of time on looking at it's history, if you can establish which church they were married at I'd think that's where he's buried
James
Morning,
He moved to Sedgley after being married, and the birth of the children.
Based on where he died (Hurst Hill, Sedgley) I emailed the church and had a helpful reply of a lady.
"I should say that registers of that date are irritatingly vague about where individuals lived, and don't record exactly where they were buried. We have three historic burial grounds; Dudley archives also has a copy of transcripts of memorials that survived until about 1980. In 1820, Edward could be in the churchyard, but is most likely to be in Vicar Street cemetery, now maintained as a memorial garden by Dudley MBC. Few memorials there were retained, although listings were made and indexed of names and dates in the MIs. Unless there is or was a memorial, it's impossible to tell exactly where someone was buried, even whether they're in the churchyard or Vicar Street. I don't hold out a great deal of hope that the family could afford a headstone. At Dudley, you should also check what's known as the 'Liber Parochialis' for his widow and family in c.1832 - it's transcribed and indexed. I think it's more precise about dwelling places."
Hi Niki
Just as a bit of collateral info:
National Burial Indx V 2 -
No entries 1538 - 1760
4 entries 1761 - 1825 3 at St Bartholomew, Madden and 1 at All Saints Sedgley, Nr Wolverhampton
No entries 1826 -1860
1 entry 1861 -2003 at Bourne, Lincs
Let me know if you want details of these?
Of course not all cemetries have been 'done' either.
There is a later edition out now but this little bit of info may help?
NDRFT
I'd love to have the details on the Sedgley one please!
Thanks
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Hi agaain
The Index says ;
Edward Wones aged 60 buried at All Saints, Sedgely on 24 April 1820
Not much but it seems to tie in with your search I hope?
Nigel
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Hi agaain
The Index says ;
Edward Wones aged 60 buried at All Saints, Sedgely on 24 April 1820
Not much but it seems to tie in with your search I hope?
Nigel
Yeah, that's him. Thanks again!