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Author Topic: help! deciphering an 1871 census scan  (Read 850 times)

Offline kathrynb

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help! deciphering an 1871 census scan
« on: Sunday 29 January 06 01:41 GMT (UK) »
I'm a furriner (in Canada, all grandparents from England) and not familiar with the geography / place names.

I'm looking at the scan for <b>Charles Hulbert</b> (actually Hubert, I think, mistranscribed) and his wife Emma in Battersea, Surrey, in 1871.

The place of birth has been transcribed as "<b>Bypinton</b>", Devon.  As far as I can tell, no such place exists/existed, and my efforts at Google to find anything I can guess from the handwriting have failed.

The entry is on page 29 of
 1871 England Census > Surrey > Battersea > District 15

Can anyone tell me what it says, or know off hand what place in Devon it's likely referring to?

Thanks for any and all help!



Offline PrueM

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Re: help! deciphering an 1871 census scan
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 29 January 06 01:57 GMT (UK) »
Hello Kathryn  :)

I agree, the surname has been mistranscribed, it should definitely be HUBERT.

I think the place name is Bigginton - doesn't seem to exist though.  There is a BICKINGTON described in Genuki though: http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Bickington/index.html

...when you take into account a Devonshire accent and a London enumerator, you can understand how he might have written the name down just as he heard it.

Hope that helps!

Cheers
Prue

Offline dollylee

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Re: help! deciphering an 1871 census scan
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 29 January 06 02:21 GMT (UK) »
you are not alone kathrynb..........English just boggles the mind...but it does get easier.  So much happening in such small areas...something we aren't use to!!!

Good luck and don't fret, the people here are terrific at helping out as you probably already found out.

dollylee

Offline kathrynb

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Re: help! deciphering an 1871 census scan
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 29 January 06 19:37 GMT (UK) »
Thanks very much!  I'd guessed this and that (Bigginton, Biffinton ...), but was just going from the handwriting.

Yes, accents, lack of geographic knowledge on the part of the enumerator, possibly illiteracy on the part of the enumerated.

Unfortunately, I'm not finding any Huberts with anything at all to do with Devon anywhere anyhow.  ("Minnie Hubert", one of only a couple, is actually a Herbert.)  But now I know something to look out for -- thanks again!


PS -- tried to post this shortly after your reply, but it wouldn't post, and then I was unable to connect to RootsChat at all.  Hope it works this time.
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