Christian Names .......

wini · Post by **wini** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:57 am

This afternoon I was browsing through Batch No. C119211 it is for Calton from 1855

I noticed most of the names were the usual, Mary, Margaret, Catherine Jean, John, James, Hugh etc.

I came acoss, Lucinda, Lavinia, Adelaide, Jeremiah and Cornelius and I thought it must have been a relief to their teachers to find something a bit different.

Has anyone else found names which would have been unusual at the time they were given?

wini

Post by **AndrewP** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 11:17 am

(Useless?) factoid of the day...

Adelaide was probably a popular(ish) name of its time, from Adelaide, Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen to William IV (reigned 1830-1837). Her name was given to the town in Australia upon its founding in 1836.

All thebest,

AndrewP

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:22 pm

Hi Wini

In 1855 in Calton unless these fancifully named individuals were from moneyd stock there would be only limited chance that they would even have a teacher.
Calton was a weaving area with lots of cotton mills and weaving shops so children as young as 5 or 6 could be working a 10 or 12 hour day.

Russell

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:59 pm

How about Cunningham McWhinnie?

This rare first name enabled me to trace my Smith ancestors all the way to here and now USA!

Dave

apanderson · Post by **apanderson** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 3:06 pm

Hi All,

I know what you mean! It's great when you find an unusual name.

How about this one . . . .

PHILADELPHIA ERSKINE daughter of William Anderson & Frances Ford who died March 21st 1837.

or . . .

Hellen Kekkijoo??

Good old Scottish name - eh - Kekkijoo!

It is in fact Kerkwood - a mistranscription in the pre-1855 West Stirlingshire MI's for Dunipace Old Churchyard.

Another wee 'tradition' which amuses me is the use of 'male' names for females . . . Nicholas, Stuart, Graham, Mitchell etc. I didn't know Russel(l) could be used as a female name either - did you??

Anne

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:50 pm

Having just been looking for relatives on North Uist and in Stornoway nothing could surprise me any more with the Scottish names.

'Ina' on a census could apply to Alexanderina, Hectorina, Andrewina etc.
'Laxy' was actually Alexanderina.

As the saying goes -'Anything goes'

Russell

And It Makes Me Shine · Post by **And It Makes Me Shine** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 5:04 pm

My two favourites are my GGG Grandfathers : Barnabus McGuire born in Ireland 1834 and Romeo Gillies born 1843 in Paisley. I cant imagine many Barnabus's in Hamilton or Romeo's in Paisley at that time.

Thankfully the tradition never carried through to the twentieth century

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 5:15 pm

AIMMS

Just as well Romeo did not continue into the 20th century and beyond - in Paisly at least! He would have emigrated before he was five to escape the consequences of his name.

Russell

rye470 · Post by **rye470** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:47 pm

This one is from Dennistoun:

NAPOLEON McBRIDE born 12 December 1882.

Apart from the name, the poor wee sole was illegitimate too.

The registration just happened to be above one of mine, but I've often wondered what became of him!

Christine.

Fergie · Post by **Fergie** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:59 pm

The name Hamilton as a christian name crops up a few times in the 1800's to the present day among my Currie side. The name Osmond also.

Considering most of them in the 1800's and early 1900's were around the gorbals area and were involved in the furniture trade I wouldn't have thought them to be well off but they must have had delusions of grandeur!

Hamilton Currie born about 1815 somewhere in Scotland - my brick wall - anyone out there also looking for him?????