Odiham Baptisms - Baldwin/Barlow

[tj_]

I have my gt. grandmothers birth certificate. Her name was Ellen Sophia Baldwin (father James Baldwin, mother Sophia Baldwin nee Silver) born 08 Aug 1863, Odiham.

I've recently purchased the Hampshire Baptism records CD from HGS. On it, the only 'suitable' matching record for an Ellen Sophia, daughter of a James & Sophia in Odiham is one on 18 Sep 1863. Trouble is, the parents surname is given as Barlow!

For myself, I can't see how Baldwin could be mistranscribed as Barlow!

I don't know if I'm being cheeky (I've never made a look-up request before) but I wondered if anyone was going to Winchester and could clarify this for me?

Thanks for reading this,

Tim

[dee-jay]

For myself, I can't see how Baldwin could be mistranscribed as Barlow!

I assume you've little experience of original parish registers?   

I've added your request to my 'to do' list.

dee-jay

[dee-jay]

The clearest part of the entry is the surname:  BARLOW!  However, in a sweep and reverse sweep of the subsequent 4 years I found confirmation of their illegible abode as 'Murrell Green' from this entry:

10 Mar 1867 Harriet, daughter of James & Sophia BALDWIN, of Murrell Green, Labourer. 

Therefore, I think it's safe to assume that the BARLOW surname is a simple  clerical error:  understandable when you consider the common practice of transferring details from scrappy notes to a formal register some time after the event .....   

I've previously encountered baptismal registers where the surname of the parents is blank but reference to Bishops' Transcripts has provided the missing details.  It's particularly frustrating when no details of abode or occupation are entered in the specified columns post-1812; and even more so when marriages post-1837 are entered in the old style registers, without columns for recording  father and his occupation, and one of the parties happens to be a widow .....