Can anyone suggest what this may be?? Taken from a marriage certificate - this person was a witness. Male? Female? Other possible spellings? Meaning?
Malhudelah Hart
Thanks, Julie
The closest I can think of is the biblical Methuselah.
In the IGI, a search for Methuselah (no surname entered) with British Isles selected as the region brings up about 1000 entries for Methuselah or variant spellings- though many are LDS submissions. Most of the entries are male though there are a few early females e.g. Mathasala PARK christened in 1589 in Sussex, Methusulah SMYTH in 1592 in Cornwall.
The most recent extracted entry is the marriage of a (male) Methuselah JONES in Staffordshire in 1871. I didn't find a Methuselah HART in the IGI.
However, there is a Methuselah HART in the England censuses - could this be your chap?
1861
In Ashton in Makerfield with his widowed mother and siblings, an unmarried 28yo Journeyman Hingemaker, but transcribed as Methutelah HART (it's written as Methuselah - though the enumerator does have a strange 's')1871
In Upholland Lancashire - Head of household, married, age 38, a labourer, born Ashton Lancashire
1881
In North Meols, Lancashire - Head of household, married, age 48, a Mason's Labourer, born Ashton.
1891
Still in North Meols but transcribed as Methuidah HART (it's written as Methusilah)
1901
In Southport but transcribed as Methnselah HART (it's written as Methuselah)JAP
PS: And some entries on FreeBMD including the death of what is probably the census chap in Ormskirk, age 73, in 1907.Note: entries in blue were added after I first posted.
