BRABY/BRAVERY COMPLETED

[Jane Masri]

Would welcome an exchange of information on any or both of the above names,
Jane

[RootsChat]

Hello Jane,

Looking at the Census returns for 1881 it shows more Bravery than Braby 28 verses 72 for Surrey.

How far back does your research go  

RootsChat

[Jane Masri]

Hello Rootschat,
My research is edging back into late 1600's early 1700's.
With the particular group I am chasing the name seems to have started out as BRABY (spelling variants include BRABRY, BRABERY, BRABIE, BRABEE, BRANERY & a whole host more!)
They appear to have started out in the Horsham area (Warnham, Rusper in particular) with the BRABY name, then drifted into Surrey (DORKING, OCKLEY) where the name seems to have 'changed' into Bravery.  Some have started life as a BRABY, been married as such but have been buried in the name of Bravery.  It's looking more & more as if these are errors in the original registrations plus transcription errors rather than an intentional name change.  Hence the reason why by 1881 there are more Bravery's in Surrey than there are in Sussex.
If you've got any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear from you,
Jane

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi there Jane

When you get back into the late 1600's and early 1700's you have to remember that most of our ancestors could not read or write - so when they got married or baptized a child, it is what the parish clerk (an unpaid position in the early days) heard that he wrote down in the registers.  If the baptism was of a BraBery and the clerk wrote down BraVery or the other way round - because that is what he heard - then our ancestors were not in a position to say "excuse me, you have spelt that wrong".
Often dialect / brogue paid an important part in what a clerk heard or wrote down, especially if the happy couple were from a different parish.
If a name sounds the same when you pronounce it - Brabery, Bravery, Braby, Brabie etc - then it is odds on that it is the same family.

Chris in 1066Land

[Jane Masri]

Hi Chris,
Yes, there must have been a lot of hard -of -hearing parish clerks around in the eighteenth century  

I discovered recently the similarities between the "B' and the "V" in old english text.  I tried to copy & paste an example here but it doesn't work, but the 'V' looks like a 'B' which is what made me think the change was not intentional,
Jane

[timtiger]

Hello Jane,
how is the Braby family research going, would be most interested to see if our families possibly may cross paths (see my enquiry under Emigration to Australia and NZ- :"Braby Family in Oz.") We have some ties to Sussex, in particular Kirdford and Wisborough Green).
Happy Hunting
Tim Tiger

[Jane Masri]

Hi timtiger,
I've just read your thread on emmigration to Oz & NZ.  A few of the things you mentioned there rang a bell, so I need to look into it.  Probably tomorrow I'll have more to say.
For my part, the name of BRABY slowly changed to BRAVERY from about the mid 1700s to late 1700s.  WE don't know the reason why.  Some family units kept the name of BRABY, which includes the Braby's you mentioned connected with the iron/steel industry, that's where I think there might be a connection.
Watch this space, I'll be in touch,
Jane

[Grandad james]

Hello Jane,

Gradually working my way through this forum...

I think I read somewhere about a highwayman and Horsham and a sudden death.

I have just read the same for James Braverey in one of the books.

I think it must be you that mentioned it on the forum.

Anyway get back to me if you want the gist of what was said about James .a Miller ..
Best wishes
Gj.

[Jane Masri]

Hi GJ,
Nice to be 'talking' to you.
I found that bit about James Bravery, Miller of Dorking' quite by chance when I was at the Surrey History Centre in January.  I was taking a break from the film & fiche machines and casually flicking through a few relevant books when I found his name in the index!  It was so exciting to see this mention of him.  Him, being the brother of my 3xgreat grandfather.  It was mentioned that he had been attacked by highwaymen on his way back from Horsham market, so, next time I'm in the UK, I'd like to try & find more details of that, perhaps in a Surrey newspaper or Quarter Sessions.  James was the owner of Westcott Mill.  It burnt down in January of 1843 and James died four days later, 'dropped down dead in the stables', some say the shock of the fire hastened his death.  Again, I would like to try & find a newspaper report of that.
I think I've exhausted my Dorking on-line resources, but always looking.  I have the transcription of the Dorking & Holmwood parish registers, so should you want a look-up, I'm always happy to!  Likewise, should you stumble on the name of Bravery, you know where to direct your find!
Regards,
Jane