Can anyone make out where he is meant to have been born?

walnut · Post by **walnut** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:33 pm

Hello there

First of all, I apologise if I've put this query in the wrong area - it could just as easily have gone under England or Ireland, I think!

I just can't make out where David Clegg, born 1812 and living in West Rainton in the 1871 census, was born. The Ancestry transcriber thinks it was Westman, Ireland - but I don't think it really looks like that - and does such a place even exist (I did find a Westman in Mexico

)?! Unfortunately I don't know Ireland well, and I can't make any sense of the census taker's scrawl. All David's other census entries are in Scotland, and only have Ireland as place of birth, so no luck comparing with those.

Any suggestions as to where it might be would be gratefully received, if anyone could be bothered to go on Ancestry and have a look at some ancient handwriting. I'm so sorry I haven't linked to an image to make things easier - I haven't a clue how to

Anyway, thanks for any suggestions!

Post by **emanday** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:54 pm

There is a County Westmeath in Ireland, but the image doesn't look like that either.

This map of the Irish counties might be of help, but I can't see any that might be what the enumerator was trying to write.

http://www.spirited-ireland.net/map/_counties/

Post by **SarahND** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:54 pm

Hi Walnut,
Welcome to [talkingscot]

The board is still being put back together from the crash a few months ago, or otherwise you could post the image in the gallery. I've had a look at the image and must confess that I can't link what I see up with any Irish county

It does begin with a W, I think. At least it resembles the W in West Rainton a few lines above. But then...? Looks like Weakum or Weakness to me

What is the C.D. or whatever it is after Ireland and Scotland in many of the entries on the page? Sorry, I'm not much help!

All the best,
Sarah

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:23 pm

I was seeing Meath but couldn't figure out what could be after it.

His daughter Sarah states she was born at Armagh in 1844 ish (actually it says Armaugh at Ancestry). I know that doesn't mean David was born there but thought I'd throw it in anyway.

Regards,
Annette

walnut · Post by **walnut** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:29 pm

Thanks so much for the welcome and the suggestions - much appreciated! Maybe the census taker was psychic, and just decided to scribble anything for a laugh, so I'd be puzzled years later

I think the scribbles after the Scottish entries are Ls for Lanarkshire (though I don't know if it ever was commonly abbreviated to that), because I know that's where the children were born - but on the other hand, the Ancestry transcriber thinks that they read Fs, in which case, I don't know what they are

Maybe the 'D' in CD stands for Dublin? Or could it be County Donegal, Down or Derry? They are all on emanday's map.

*edit* Armagh - hmm, maybe it is CA rather than CD, then? Thanks very much indeed for the ideas, they are brilliant!

Post by **emanday** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:03 pm

I think what looks like CD is actually his personal shorthand for "County of".