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General => Technical Help => Reference Library => Topic started by: elliot on Tuesday 05 December 23 12:17 GMT (UK)

Title: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: elliot on Tuesday 05 December 23 12:17 GMT (UK)
*VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES. Why so few births when 1258 DEATH results recorded mostly in the period 1969-1995?

Births Jun 1916   (>99%)
ROWBERRY    Wilfred Verdun    TANSER    Worcester    6c   244

=======
But results for DEATHS *VERDUN for period 1916-1920 shows 1258 results.
What might be an explanation for this disparity?
Perhaps an individual trancriber at FreeBMD has done specific research for *VERDUN?
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Dundee on Tuesday 05 December 23 12:35 GMT (UK)
The old printed indexes that FreeBMD use do not show middles names, only initials, so you will find births indexed with just a 'V'.  Have a look at the scan attached to your indexed birth.  They are updating their indexes to include the full middle names.  This may take awhile. 

Debra  :)
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Viktoria on Tuesday 05 December 23 12:53 GMT (UK)
Sorry if this is not relevant but after the battle of Verdun ,many children were given Verdun as a middle name .
Not heard of any named as eg— John The Somme Smith nor  John Passendale Smith ——-.
Equally important  battles.
Verdun was during The 1914-18 war.
Viktoria.
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: BumbleB on Tuesday 05 December 23 13:15 GMT (UK)
However, look at the number of births registered in 1900 where Mafeking is included as a forename - male and female!!  8)
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: NickDub on Tuesday 05 December 23 14:01 GMT (UK)
One of my uncles was called Verdun, as his first name. Often misheard or misunderstood as Vernon.
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: elliot on Tuesday 05 December 23 20:37 GMT (UK)
The old printed indexes that FreeBMD use do not show middles names, only initials, so you will find births indexed with just a 'V'.  Have a look at the scan attached to your indexed birth.  They are updating their indexes to include the full middle names.  This may take awhile. 

Debra  :)

Debra,  thank you so much for this explanation.  I shall look forward to the progress as middle names are so valuable even if this 'Verdun' does not give clues to the ancestors!
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: elliot on Tuesday 05 December 23 20:47 GMT (UK)
Sorry if this is not relevant but after the battle of Verdun ,many children were given Verdun as a middle name .
Not heard of any named as eg— John The Somme Smith nor  John Passendale Smith ——-.
Equally important  battles.
Verdun was during The 1914-18 war.
Viktoria.

Viktoria,
Mafaking and Mafakin have a small representation!
But LADYSMITH was very popular.

The double-barrelled forename!
Deaths Dec 1856   (>99%)
LLOYD    Alma Balaclava        Witney    3a   350
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Viktoria on Tuesday 05 December 23 22:24 GMT (UK)
So two Crimean War battles there, and a style of Winter hat ,The Balaclava!

Thanks.Viktoria.
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Treetotal on Thursday 28 March 24 14:45 GMT (UK)
This sparked my interest as a cousin of mine had Verdun as middle name, not sure if the other Children had but I remember as she only lived to be 3 years old. I remember the tiny coffin was in the house prior to her burial. I was lifted up and asked to kiss her forehead, she looked like a doll dressed in a lovely white gown.
The only time that I have come across this name was "The Battle of Verdun" in 1916.

Surname    First name(s)    Mother    District    Vol    Page
Births Dec 1950   (>99%)
Hallett    Angela V Capes    Hull    2a   379     Scan available - click to view

Added I have just had a look at my other cousins' births and they don't have that middle name. I have just read Victoria's post and she too mentions the Battle,
Carol
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: elliot on Thursday 28 March 24 22:30 GMT (UK)
TREETOTAL,
thankyou so much for telling us about your memories of the death and funeral of your cousin Angela Verdun HALLETT.

What is of real interest is the appearance of this VERDUN name in your family in 1950. I wonder who and why this name was revived  by her parents, so many years after the original battle event.  Perhaps there is another person in your family who is being recalled and memorialized? Did her father survive that awful battle with his memories?

Births Dec 1950   (>99%)
Hallett Angela V    Capes     Hull    2a   379    
Deaths Jun 1953   (>99%)
HALLETT    Angela V    2    Hull    2a   165
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Treetotal on Friday 29 March 24 13:54 GMT (UK)
No, he wasn't born until, 1926 I don't know enough about the Hallett line as he married my Aunt, so not a direct line. Thanks for your interest.
Carol
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Redroger on Saturday 06 April 24 12:29 BST (UK)
Sorry if this is not relevant but after the battle of Verdun ,many children were given Verdun as a middle name .
Not heard of any named as eg— John The Somme Smith nor  John Passendale Smith ——-.
Equally important  battles.
Verdun was during The 1914-18 war.
Viktoria.
I have heard of Passendale as a forename. Unfortunately it was spelt in the record as "Passiondale"!
Quite a common occurence to name chidren after battles or commanders. I believe it started during the Wars with France in the first decades of the 19th century with commanders, I know of several Nelsons  and a few Wellingtons, usually born on the anniversary of their battle or its centenary. No doubt the French have their share of Buonapartes and Napoleones! (All pre 1815!)
Names of battles seem to have started during the Crimean War with Russia in the mid 1850s, I know of people name Sebastapol and Alma. The practice continued during the African Colonial Wars of the late 19th Early 20th Century with both the names of commanders Gordon and Kitchener, and the relief of Mafeking being commonly used. I have never heard of anyone named Khartoum though.
The practice was at its height during WW1 in which there are several, including the use of at least one instance of the battle of Messines in 1916.  Is this worth a topic on its own to see what it brings?
 
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Viktoria on Saturday 06 April 24 13:36 BST (UK)
The spelling at the time of the battle was in the old Flemish which has been modernised .
It used to be Passchaendaele ,then Passendaele .
We say Passendale ,or Pashendale it formerly was quite a mouthful,
pass ch( hard guttural c) en daal ( long a sound )e.

Viktoria.
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: elliot on Wednesday 10 April 24 16:45 BST (UK)

[/quote]
I have heard of Passendale as a forename. Unfortunately it was spelt in the record as "Passiondale"!
Quite a common occurence to name chidren after battles or commanders. I believe it started during the Wars with France in the first decades of the 19th century with commanders, I know of several Nelsons  and a few Wellingtons, usually born on the anniversary of their battle or its centenary. No doubt the French have their share of Buonapartes and Napoleones! (All pre 1815!)
Names of battles seem to have started during the Crimean War with Russia in the mid 1850s, I know of people name Sebastapol and Alma. The practice continued during the African Colonial Wars of the late 19th Early 20th Century with both the names of commanders Gordon and Kitchener, and the relief of Mafeking being commonly used. I have never heard of anyone named Khartoum though.
The practice was at its height during WW1 in which there are several, including the use of at least one instance of the battle of Messines in 1916.  Is this worth a topic on its own to see what it brings?
[/quote]

REDROGER
Many thanks for your historic overview,
IF the commemoration of these battles was at its height during WW1, was this the end of the era of static and named battlefields.  Are there any similar battles of WW2?  Do we now have faster moving and mobile encounters with Tanks? Military history is not my strong point.
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Redroger on Sunday 14 April 24 19:51 BST (UK)
Alma was very popular both male and female. When used as a boy's name usually spelt Elmer. Alma was still in use as a girls name in the 1930s, the daughter of my aunt's neighbour was called Alma, if still living she will be around 90 years old.
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: brigidmac on Monday 15 April 24 07:27 BST (UK)
Alma is also a biblical name .
& A name of it's own right in some languages

In Spanish it means Soul

I don't know the Arabic meaning it is used to describe dancers .

So Girls with that name probably not named after the battle .
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Redroger on Monday 15 April 24 09:38 BST (UK)
Alma is also a biblical name .
& A name of it's own right in some languages

In Spanish it means Soul

I don't know the Arabic meaning it is used to describe dancers .

So Girls with that name probably not named after the battle .
With the connections between Andalusia I would guess at the same or similar meaning.i do seem to recall there was a Spanish connection in the case I mentioned,so perhaps.
Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: elliot on Monday 15 April 24 19:04 BST (UK)
Alma was very popular both male and female. When used as a boy's name usually spelt Elmer. Alma was still in use as a girls name in the 1930s, the daughter of my aunt's neighbour was called Alma, if still living she will be around 90 years old.
REDROGER
I just tripped over this daughter and her mother already on my tree.

Mary Elma Alma Hovell Thurlow Cumming Bruce
1871–1894
BIRTH 21 AUG 1871 • Edinburgh,Midlothian,Scotland
DEATH 11 FEB 1894 • CHELSEA, , London,
and her mother,
Elma Cummings CUMMING BRUCE
1842–1923
BIRTH 19 JUN 1842 • Jamacia West Indies
DEATH 27 NOV 1923 • LIVERPOOL Lancashire, England

http://thepeerage.com/p12366.htm#i123658

Whose birth pre-dates the Battle of Alma 20 September 1854.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Cumming-Bruce_family

Title: Re: *VERDUN AS A MIDDLE NAME AT FREEBMD SEARCHES.
Post by: Redroger on Monday 15 April 24 21:38 BST (UK)
Interesting.Wjy I wonder.