Tracing distinctive first names and middle names

[coombs]

My ancestor James Plumb born in Leigh On Sea, Essex, had a brother called Thomas Smith Plumb. Their mum was a Saveall by birth so it may be a family name or the name of a local pillar of the community. Food for thought as I cannot yet find Thomas Plumb bornc1749 and Elizabeth Saveall's baptisms.

Distinctive middle names can be good.

[clairec666]

I'm on the verge of making a couple of breakthroughs right now, thanks to rare names.

My 4xgreat-grandfather Barnabas Moul may have been born in a different part of Essex from where he later lived. I've found a baptism for Barnabas Mole at the right time... it's probably the right person, but had he been a John or William I probably couldn't be sure.

Another recently found ancestor has the surname Nind, and might have had brothers called Philip and Benjamin. Hardly rare names, but not the most common either. I've found a few records some 50 years or so after their births, where there's a Philip with father Benjamin, or vice versa. I've not managed to link them in yet, but it's likely they're related somehow.

[ScouseBoy]

You all probably know this already,  but there are web sites that can give you world wide incidences or density of surnames and first names.

[coombs]

My ancestor was Elizabeth Helsdon born 1784 in Bethnal Green. Her father was Dennis Helsdon, and with a rare name like that I thought it would be easier, even though, unless he lived to a ripe old age, Dennis would be dead before the 1841 census and deffo 1851, unless he reached over 90. I found a Dennis Helsdon baptised in 1756 in Norwich, Norfolk. I later proved it was the right person, and it shows you can sometimes track movements across counties for people who died prior to a census. Dennis died in 1798, so 43 years before the 1841 census.

[clairec666]

Latest ancestor added to my tree - Fields Carter. Hopefully he'll be easy to trace

[Griff King-Spooner]

Distinctive names are all well and good ... as long as they stick to them!!!

One of my most problematic great great grandfathers is Thomas King Spooner. A nice easy name, you'd have thought ... but ... well!

I've still to invest in all the certificates to prove it, but I THINK I've puzzled him out.

Born: Thomas Escott Scott Spooner, Clerkenwell, 1857, only child of Edgar Spooner (a tailor) and his second wife Elizabeth Spooner (nee Escott). He had an older half sister called Mary Spooner, and a second older half sister called Louisa Mary King Spooner had died before he was born.

Elizabeth Spooner died between 1857 and 1863. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate the family in the 1861 census, so I cannot say if this was before or after the census date.

Edgar Spooner adopted the name King, calling himself Edgar Spooner King, and then simply Edgar King. Thomas Escott Scott Spooner also appears to have adopted the name King, becoming (for now) simply Thomas King.

Edgar Spooner King married Eliza Wright in 1863, and they had three children, called Eve, Adam and John.

By the time of the 1871 census, Thomas King had left home and was an errand boy in the household of John Jacob Schafer at Coningham Terrace, Hammersmith (RG10 Piece 63 Folio 125 page 25).

[Edgar Spooner appears in the 1871 census as Edgar King, living with his wife Eliza and children Adam and Eve (John was not born until about 1873) in Artillery Lane, Bishopsgate, City of London (RG10 Piece 416 Folio 19 page 31); Eliza died between 1873 and 1877, and Edgar was married for a fourth time - reverting to the name Edgar Spooner - to Mary Ann Benge in Wandsworth in 1877. Mary Ann Spooner died in Lambeth in 1878, and in the 1881 census Edgar King is shown living at 5 Fanshaw Street, Shoreditch with his 8 year old son John (RG11 Piece 394 Folio 113 page 56). I do not have Edgar in any later censuses, but neither have I found his death.]

On 2 April 1879 Thomas King Spooner married Harriet Martindale at St Mary Hoxton, Middlesex.

In the 1881 census they appear as Thos and Harriet Spooner, living at 19 Buckingham High Street, Islington  (RG11 Piece 231 Folio 11 page 19).

They have children Frances Mary K Spooner (1884), Augustine John K Spooner (1886), Joseph King Spooner (born and died 1888), Kathleen Honora Spooner (born 9 February 1890).

In the 1891 Census they are listed at 166 Brady Street Dwellings, Brady Street, Whitechapel as Thomas K Spooner and Harriet Spooner, with children Frances, Augustine and Kathleen (RG12 Piece 279 Folio 28 page 28)

They have a further three children: Mildred King Spooner (born 1892, died 1894); Thomas King Spooner (born 1894); Harriet King Spooner (born 1897)

The 1901 census shows Thomas King Spooner, Harriett Spooner and their five surviving children at 13 High Street, Stratford Riverside, West Ham (RG13 Piece 1562 Folio 18 page 27)

Harriet Spooner died in 1905.

In the 1911 census, Thomas King Spooner and his son Thomas King Spooner are listed at 83 Diggon Street, Stepney (RG14PN1591 RG78PN56 RD21 SD1 ED20 SN185)

His daughter whose name at birth was registered as Kathleen Honora Spooner (no King: this is my great grandmother and I have her birth certificate - DEFINITELY no King) married in 1912. Her name on the marriage certificate is recorded as Kathleen Honora King Spooner.

I have not found Thomas King Spooner's death ... unless he is Thomas Spooner, 75, who died in the Tendring registration district in 1932 (obtaining this death certificate is high on my list of research priorities).



Now come ON guys ... if you're born with a name which is as helpful to future genealogists as Thomas Escott Scott Spooner ... for pity's sake MAKE USE OF IT!!!!!

................following on with your request Thomas King Spooner according to ancestry.com died in March 1923 in Ireland, interestingly enough also confirms him being born in Wicklow Ireland in 1856 prior to moving to the UK (although there's later census certificates mentioning him being born in Clerkenwell London), I'm related down the line and I remember his grand daughters Sheila and Iris Spooner mentioning their grandad's Irish birth many years ago, hope this to be of help

[Marmalady]

Another recently found ancestor has the surname Nind, and might have had brothers called Philip and Benjamin. Hardly rare names, but not the most common either. I've found a few records some 50 years or so after their births, where there's a Philip with father Benjamin, or vice versa. I've not managed to link them in yet, but it's likely they're related somehow.

I have a Phillip Nind that married into my Trant family in 1775 -- any connection?
Phillip Nind bn 1751
married Catherine Trant 9th Nov 1775 Braughing Herts
died Aug 1815 Wargrave Berks

As he is only a connection rather than direct line, I haven't gone into his forebears, tho I have traced some of his children down a generation or two

[clairec666]

Another recently found ancestor has the surname Nind, and might have had brothers called Philip and Benjamin. Hardly rare names, but not the most common either. I've found a few records some 50 years or so after their births, where there's a Philip with father Benjamin, or vice versa. I've not managed to link them in yet, but it's likely they're related somehow.

I have a Phillip Nind that married into my Trant family in 1775 -- any connection?
Phillip Nind bn 1751
married Catherine Trant 9th Nov 1775 Braughing Herts
died Aug 1815 Wargrave Berks

As he is only a connection rather than direct line, I haven't gone into his forebears, tho I have traced some of his children down a generation or two

It's a possibility. My Ninds originate from Worcestershire and Warwickshire, but maybe they move further afield. I'll look into it.

[JAKnighton]

My 5x great-grandfather was named Sweatman Revell (after his mother's maiden name) but it has been no help in finding a burial record. Unless he lived to be quite old (90+) then his death would've been pre-civil registration.