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Archiver > DEVON > 2009-04 > 1240041316


From: Anne Peat <>
Subject: Re: [DEV] Christian names - Blackford
Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:55:16 +0100
References: <acddeefc0904172154x2d6cddceh9b1ff73591106cf9@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <acddeefc0904172154x2d6cddceh9b1ff73591106cf9@mail.gmail.com>


Dorothy,

May and Mary Ann were very common names in the 19th century. In a
small community with a surname common to the area, there would have
been many children with exactly the same name. Because infant
mortality was high, the same name was often used for a succession of
children in the same family - I have quite a few families on my tree
with child X (1) who died in infancy followed by Child X (2) and even
Child X (3). And yes, whereas we might think Mary and Mary Ann were
the same name, there could be two children in the same family who both
survived infancy, named that way.

HTH
Anne
On 18 Apr 2009, at 05:54, Dorothy Stephens wrote:

> One of my ancestors was called "Mary Ann Blackford" and she was born
> in 1850
> in Wales. (Her parents were from North Molton and returned there
> after the
> 1851 census.) I've not been able to find her death, but a "Mary
> Blackford"
> was baptised in 1858 in North Molton I'm wondering if this is the same
> person, or if the first one died and another girl was born later and
> called
> Mary. In 1871 there was another "Mary Ann Blackford" born and she
> definitely exists as she was my grandmother. So there appears to be
> three
> girls called at least Mary if not Mary Ann. I know Mary Ann was
> usually
> called Polly so perhaps it was permissible to have one just called
> Mary.
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Many thanks.
>
> --
> Dorothy Stephens
>
>

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