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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Ray T on Friday 15 July 16 11:48 BST (UK)

Title: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Ray T on Friday 15 July 16 11:48 BST (UK)
Birthplace of John SIMMONS from the 1861 (the second one down) clearly "Salop" but where? Thought it might be "Bonsal" but that's in Derbyshire.

To add to the confusion, his wife (the next one down) etc. came from the same place in Staffordshire

I'm confused (as usual, some may say!) Any ideas?
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: groom on Friday 15 July 16 11:55 BST (UK)
Have you found him in any other census? Can you give his date of birth and where he was in 1861 so I can look at the whole image as that might help?
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: BumbleB on Friday 15 July 16 11:56 BST (UK)
Could it be a corruption of Boningale - Genuki says it is on the "edge of Staffordshire"  :-\  especially as the next two entries appear to be in Staffordshire, but B... is dittoed

Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Ray T on Friday 15 July 16 12:05 BST (UK)
Have you found him in any other census? Can you give his date of birth and where he was in 1861 so I can look at the whole image as that might help?

On both the 1841 (HO 107/974/8) and 1851 (HO 107/2016) he's in Wheaton Aston (Shropshire) with a birth date on the latter of 1787. I've yet to find him on the 1861.
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Ray T on Friday 15 July 16 12:06 BST (UK)
Could it be a corruption of Boningale - Genuki says it is on the "edge of Staffordshire"  :-\  especially as the next two entries appear to be in Staffordshire, but B... is dittoed

I'll have a look at that one - I'll have to be quick my FindMyPast sub runs out today!


Edit - That's certainly a possibility; the county boundaries are all over the place, with little logic, in that part of the world and it might explain why the only potential baptism I could find for him (and had discounted) was in Wolverhampton.
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Cas (stallc) on Friday 15 July 16 12:10 BST (UK)
There is a bapt of John Simons 26 March 1787 in Boningale Shropshire, father Thomas, mother Eleanor

Cas
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: stanmapstone on Friday 15 July 16 12:18 BST (UK)
Could it be a corruption of Boningale - Genuki says it is on the "edge of Staffordshire"  :-\  especially as the next two entries appear to be in Staffordshire, but B... is dittoed

Its name was formerly spelt as Boningall or Bonninghall. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boningale

Stan
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Ray T on Friday 15 July 16 12:29 BST (UK)
I think that clinches it - I've had problems with census enumerators/thick Shropshire accents before.

As he named one of his daughters Ellen and one of his sons Thomas, it's more likely his mother and father were Eleanor and Thomas that the ones from Wolverhampton (John & Mary).

If only I could find his marriage!

Thanks all.
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: despair on Friday 15 July 16 21:55 BST (UK)
There is a Dec 30th 1833 marriage of John Simmons(widower) to Ann Harvey(spinster) at Wolverhampton,St Peter - possible?

Regards
Roger
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Ray T on Saturday 16 July 16 13:01 BST (UK)
There is a Dec 30th 1833 marriage of John Simmons(widower) to Ann Harvey(spinster) at Wolverhampton,St Peter - possible?

Regards
Roger

Yes Roger, I'd spotted that but had to break off to do something "important"!

I think it's relevant because John was definitely a widower when he married Ann. I think he may have died by 1861 but, at that time, it appears that his youngest son Timothy was living with William, who appears to be his half-brother, 33 years his senior.

Thanks
Ray
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Lynntony on Wednesday 20 July 16 15:36 BST (UK)
My first thought when looking at the image was Brewood.
Worth a look perhaps?

Tony
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: oldtimer on Wednesday 20 July 16 17:16 BST (UK)
I also thought is said Brewood  :)
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: BumbleB on Wednesday 20 July 16 18:17 BST (UK)
Can you give us the 1861 census reference, so that we can look for ourselves.  There may be clues from other entries on the page. 
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Ray T on Thursday 21 July 16 14:28 BST (UK)
Can you give us the 1861 census reference, so that we can look for ourselves.  There may be clues from other entries on the page.

Slip of the finger (sorry) the image is from the 1851 as I confirm in Post No.3 which includes the census refs.

Finding him on the 1861 (assuming he was still alive) might help.
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Ray T on Thursday 21 July 16 15:00 BST (UK)
My first thought when looking at the image was Brewood.
Worth a look perhaps?

Tony

Thereby hangs the tale! I have something of a dilemma. There are three possible baptisms for John.

1) 26 March 1787 - in Boningale - son of Thomas & Eleanor
2) 15 Jan 1787 - in Wolverhampton - son of John & Mary
3) 18 May 1788 - in Brewood - son of Mary

It must be unusual to find three people of the same name baptised within 6 miles of each other within less than 18 months!

I've studied the image long and hard and am convinced that it says "Bonegal" - look, in particular, at the loop beneath the "G" which wouldn't be there in Brewood.
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: oldtimer on Thursday 21 July 16 15:19 BST (UK)
I have looked at the original image, and agree now that it is Bonegal  ;)
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: oldtimer on Thursday 21 July 16 15:31 BST (UK)
There is a burial for a John Simmons of Wheaten Aston at Lapley on 12th December 1855. He was aged 75, and died of typhus fever.

Although the age is a few years out, he could possibly be your man.
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: BumbleB on Thursday 21 July 16 15:38 BST (UK)
Is this a better image?   :-\
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: oldtimer on Thursday 21 July 16 15:42 BST (UK)
Ann Simmons of Wheaton Aston buried 6th November 1857 at Lapley aged 52. She died of paralysis.
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Ray T on Friday 22 July 16 09:00 BST (UK)
Both of those are useful, Judy, thanks. Do you have a reference for these? The inclusion of a cause of death suggests that they are from the actual death certificates.

Just to add to the confusion, the GRO index includes deaths for two people called John Simmons in Q4 1853; one in Penkridge and the other in Wolverhampton ??? ???

R
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: oldtimer on Friday 22 July 16 10:43 BST (UK)
Hi Ray

No, I don't have the certificates. Rather unusually the actual church register includes the cause of death.

Judy  ;)
Title: Re: Shropshire, Staffordshire or Where?
Post by: Lynntony on Saturday 23 July 16 16:23 BST (UK)
Quote
I've studied the image long and hard and am convinced that it says "Bonegal" - look, in particular, at the loop beneath the "G" which wouldn't be there in Brewood.

Quite right Ray, I missed the loop as it's quite faint on the picture. Bonegal would probably be a mis-spelling of Boningale. The enumerator seemingly copied it down phonetically - something most of us have come across on census returns!

Tony