RootsChat.Com

England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Yorkshire (West Riding) => Topic started by: Fingy on Tuesday 22 July 14 15:37 BST (UK)

Title: Debelle Family
Post by: Fingy on Tuesday 22 July 14 15:37 BST (UK)

I am trying to help a friend find her ancestors but she has very little to go on , the only things she knows is that the family name is Debelle , her mother lived in Heeley as a child in the early 1900's & she thinks they came from Sheffield .....anyone got any ideas where to start please as it would be much appreciated.

Title: Re: Debelle Family
Post by: lizdb on Tuesday 22 July 14 15:57 BST (UK)

Well, the first thing will be for your friend to look at her own birth cert. That will give her a full name for her mother, and a maiden name if she was married. Using freebmd you can then look for a marriage, if the parents were married.  Does she know approx when her mother was born? Again freebmd can be looked at for the mothers birth, once we have a full name and an approx era.

Title: Re: Debelle Family
Post by: Pennines on Tuesday 22 July 14 16:15 BST (UK)

What an unusual surname -- and one which may be prone to mistranscribing.

Between 1837 and 1915 -- there only appear to be 3 birth registrations for that surname (spelt correctly) -- all in different locations viz;

Ashton under Lyne
Manchester
South Shields

From 1916 to 2005 this number has increased to 27 -- various locations, but none in Sheffield.
As has already been suggested you will need to work backwards from your friend's parents' details on the birth certificate -- and perhaps be prepared for variant spellings as you get further back to census records.

Title: Re: Debelle Family
Post by: Pennines on Tuesday 22 July 14 16:36 BST (UK)

I have just remembered that I have come across the surname of Depelle in West Yorks. I don't know if this will be significant at some point -- it maybe worth bearing in mind. Perhaps the surname started out as one thing and morphed into the other.

It actually sounds French.

Title: Re: Debelle Family
Post by: Fingy on Wednesday 23 July 14 18:17 BST (UK)

Thanks lizdb & pennines for your replys, I think my friend & I will first proceed down the road suggested by lizdb & get as much info as we can from her mothers marriage certificate & work backwards down the female line, not the usual way to do it I know, but we can but try.

Also pennines suggestion that it sounds french may be another  place to look too.
I will let  you know if we find anything out ......fingers crossed !!

Thanks again for giving us a start ,

Barbara

Title: Re: Debelle Family
Post by: Dalum on Wednesday 23 July 14 19:59 BST (UK)

There are a number of people called DEBELL or DE BELL in the databases at http://www.sheffieldindexers.com/ (http://www.sheffieldindexers.com/)

Hugh

Title: Re: Debelle Family
Post by: Fingy on Wednesday 23 July 14 20:40 BST (UK)

Thanks a lot Hugh for the info about Sheffield Indexers , I will investigate.

Barbara

Title: Re: Debelle Family
Post by: mmm45 on Friday 25 July 14 22:53 BST (UK)

Barbara
Theres a Dabelle lad from Sheffield on WW1 service records
George and Henry is his dad Unstone,Sheffield.

Ady

Title: Re: Debelle Family
Post by: Fingy on Saturday 26 July 14 12:13 BST (UK)

Thanks Ady for this info, another branch to be investigated, no news yet but it always take some time before you hit a rich seam !!
This has been a very productive source of info, plenty to look into & Ancestry have a free w/end this w/end so that can only be a help.
I will keep in touch.

Barbara