52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2019: Week 3 - Unusual Names

At different times in history and in different cultures, some first names are more popular. What we may today feel are unusual names weren't consider so when a child was given the name. What will people think of the names children are given today in the future?

Two names that I have chosen to look at are from my Hemingway family line.

The first is Zillah Baker. She was the daughter of Seneca Baker and Esther Ann Milliken. Zillah was born in Whitchurch Township, York County, Ontario, 11 July 1888. Zillah married Harry Gilbert 11 June 1924. Her name was spelled Zella in the marriage registration. 

Zillah was the name of the wife of Lamach (Genesis 4:19).

The second one is Zeluka Barnes. She was the daughter of Jacob Barnes and Anna Holder. Her birth registration appears to be spelled Zoluka. In the 1891 census, her name is spelled Zeluka. She was born 29 September 1879 in Victoria County, Ontario.



© 2019 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #6 - Favourite Name

Parents have an important task when they name their children. Will they give the baby a name that honours someone in the family past or present? Do they use a surname as the personal name? Perhaps it is a name they like.

Although the title is My Favourite Name", I will talk about three names.

One name I find interesting is Patience. I have only discovered one in my family and that is my great-great-great grandmother, Patience Blandford. 

Patience is from the derivative "pati" of the Latin word "patientia" meaning "to suffer". The Cambridge on-line dictionary defines patience as "the ability to wait, or to continue doing something despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining or becoming annoyed".

Before her marriage to Richard Eyles [Iles] and while still single, Patience brought three children to the Brimpsfield Parish Church for baptism. First was Mary Ann Blandford who was baptized 14 April 1818. [1] Three years later Patience brought her twins, Reuben and Harriet, to the church on 4 November 1821. [2]

On 6 June 1822, Patience's son, seven-month-old Reuben Blandford, was buried from the Brimpsfield Parish Church. [3]

The original publishing of the banns in the Parish church happened on 2, 9 and 16 of December 1821. The wedding was delayed. The curate added a note on a piece of paper that stated he, John Davies, read the banns on October 6, 1822. There is no indication that the curate read the banns the customary three times before the wedding.


Finally, on 21 October 1822 in the same parish Church, Richard and Patience exchanged vows. John Davies, the curate, performed the ceremony. Both Richard and Patience made their marks. William Blandford and John Edginton witnessed their marriage. 

For about 23 years, Patience was pregnant or caring for and likely nursing a little one. She gave birth to 17 known children.

Patience would have lived up to her name many times in her life.

My two favourite names in my tree are Hannah and Josiah.  Hannah is based on the Hebrew word meaning "favour or grace". Samuel's mother was Hannah. As an English name it was used more after the Protestant Reformation. Josiah comes also from the Hebrew and means "Yahweh supports".  Josiah was a boy king who "had a spiritual awakening at the age of eight and during his reign, dedicated himself to restoring his people's covenant with God."

 The name Hannah appears a few times in my family.  In my direct line, I have Hannah Hemingway, 1819-1887, (daughter of Josiah Hemingway and Anna Stiver), Hannah Dunn, 1796-1876 and Hannah Cowley, abt. 1826-1903 (daughter of Thomas Cowley).

The name Josiah also appears a few times in my family. In my direct line, I have Josiah Hemingway Johnston, 1845-1919 (son of David Johnston and Hannah Hemingway), Josiah Hemingway, 1771-1851 (son of Samuel Hemingway) and Josiah Dudley, 1847-1901 (son of Ann Dudley). 

[1] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Parish Baptismal Register,  entry for Mary Ann Blandford, microfilm 991292, item 1 p. 7, no. 56, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.
 [2] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Parish Baptismal Register,  entry for Harriet and Reuben Blandford, microfilm  991292 item 1 p. 10, no. 86, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.
[3] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire). Parish Burial Register, entry for Reuben Blandford, p. 8 no. 64; Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 9 July 2016) citing Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, England; Reference Numbers: P58 IN 1/9
[4] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire). Parish Register - banns; entry for Patience Blandford and Richard Eyles, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 9 July 2016) citing Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, England; Reference Numbers: P58 IN 1/8.

[5] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Parish Marriage Register,  entry for Patience Blandford and Richard Eyles, microfilm 991292 item 1, p. 6, no. 16, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.

© 2018 Janet Iles

Who am I named for?

Lisa Alzo, the Accidental Genealogist has writing prompts for March - Women's History Month.

The prompting for yesterday was:

March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern.

I was named for my maternal grandmother born Janet Gertrude Johnston. I am not sure why she was often referred to as Gertie, but to me she was Grandma Love. She was born in 1883 and died in 1958 when I was eight years old. She was the daughter of Josiah Hemingway Johnston and Agnes Chambers. 

I wrote about her in the 52 Ancestors Challenge.

There are other Janet's in my family tree. These are all on my mother's side of the family.

Janet McKenzie (1816 - 1901) was the daughter of James McKenzie and Catherina Brown. She married Homer Newall. She is my great-great-great aunt.
  

Janet Chambers (1851-1930) was the daughter of James Chambers and Mary McKenzie. She married  Charles Moody.  She is my great-great aunt.

Other Janets (first name) born pre-1900 in my family tree:
Janet Goldie Hagerman (1889 - 1973) - 4th cousin, once removed
Janet Ormiston Johnston (1897 - 1938) - 2nd cousin, twice removed

These are Janets (first name) born pre-1900 who married into my family tree

• Janet Nettie Irving (1888 - 1960) married James Arthur Love, my first cousin twice removed.
• Janet Hodgson (1888 - 1913) married William Henry Vincer, my first cousin twice removed.
• Janet Agnes Livingston (1856 - 1938) married William Henry Helmkay, my third cousin, twice removed.
• Janet Porter (1892 - 1972) married Cecil Thomas Bishop, my third cousin, twice removed.
• Janet Hogg (1833-1880) married James Johnston, my great-great-great uncle.

© 2017 Janet Iles

Celebrate your Name Week

I heard on the radio this morning that the first full week of March is "Celebrate your Name Week". What a great topic to write about. I am only going to look at my first name.

Celebrate Your Name Week (CYNW) is a holiday created in 1997 by American amateur onomatologist Jerry Hill. Hill declared the first full week in March a week for everyone in the world to embrace and celebrate his or her name, and to appreciate names in general, by having fun getting to know facts about name [1]

Janet
There are a number of books and web sites that talk about the meaning of names. Behind the Name looks at first names. You can also search your name at Meaning of Names.

Janet is the diminutive of Jane, which is the feminine of John. (Yahweh or God is gracious).

When I look at my family history, the name Janet is used throughout the generations. When I look at my ancestors, I know of two from whom I descend on my mother's side.

Janet Gertrude Johnston #7 (1883-1958) most often went by Gertie. She was the daughter of Josiah Hemingway Johnston and Agnes Chambers. She was my mother's mother and I was named after her.

Janet Chambers #30 (1851-1930) was the daughter of James Chambers and Mary McKenzie.

Have you ever looked up information on your name? Who else on your family tree has the same name? For whom were you named?


[1] "Celebrate your Name Week" Wikipedia accessed 2 March 2009

What's in a name?

Genealogists are interested in names – surnames and first names. Where did the name come from? Who were you named for? Were you named for your great uncle or aunt or a grandparent or were you named for a helpful neighbour down the street?

What about place names? Is there any significance in the naming of the community where you live or where your ancestors came from? Were they named for a famous person, an early pioneer or were they descriptive of the physical features of the time?

In March 2009, I will be speaking at Grey Roots to the Grey County Historical Society about the place names in Grey County. About nine years ago, I did presentations about the place names in Grey and Bruce counties. When I did those presentations, I didn’t include any visuals. This time, the focus will be on Grey County. In preparation, I am taking trips around Grey County taking photographs of signs with the name of the community and photographs of some items of interest in these communities so that I can do a visual presentation. In the later part of July, A friend and I spent a day exploring Osprey and Collingwood Townships. After taking tombstone photographs for a client, I concentrated on my mission to take photographs that I could use while I talked about the places. Over the next few months, I hope to make more trips to the small hamlets and larger communities around the county. Watch for articles about some of these excursions.

Do you know how your community or the place where one of your ancestors lived got its name? Leave a comment below or perhaps write an article on your blog and let me know, I would enjoy reading your stories.