Help wanted with the Dorset Accent

[alamar]

I am looking for someone who can tell me how a census enumerator in Surrey would hear the place name “Came” when spoken in the Dorset dialect.

I have long puzzled where my 4xGt Grandmother Frances VINCENT was born. In the 1851 census of Kinston in Surrey the enumerator wrote her birthplace as “Kem, Dorset.” In 1861 census again in Kingston he noted “Chem, Dorset.” I consulted the Dorset FHS who said they had no idea where such a place might be. I consigned the matter to the too hard basket where it has stayed for the last six or seven years.

I recently consulted the Dorset on-line baptisms index and found a lady of the correct name and probable year baptised in Winterborne-Came. I found an internet site that told me where it was and spoke of Came as a place. As a speaker of New Zealand English I can see how Came might become Kem or Chem but I have little idea of  the many English accents. Any experts out there?

[Jones the Search]

Hi alamar 
On the parish locator Winterbourne Came is shown as 1.8 miles from the market town of Dorchester.
This site has recording of the dialect of Dorchester Dorset.
It is a bit slow to load, but it does work.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/solent-maidennewton.shtml
Have you checked the IGI ?
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/customsearchresults.asp
shows 29 entries for Frances Vincent in Dorset.
There is one- Frances Jane Vincent Christening 25 JUL 1852 Melcombe-Regis Dorset.
Melcombe-Regis is 5 miles from Winterbourne Came 
Hope this helps you.
Patricia

[stockman fred]

Another potential could be Cann near Shaftesbury, also in Dorset.
It might be worth a look if the other suggestions don't work out.
Fred

[ger_g]

Hi alamar

A kind Rootschatter pointed me in the direction of online recordings some time ago:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/voices/

or enter the place (e.g. dorset) and choose 'recorded speech' as the object type here:

http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/search/advanced.cfm?objectPage=location

Cheers
Ger

[Jones the Search]

Could this be her?
Frances Vincent
 21 OCT 1798   Winterbourne-Came Dorset
 Parents: Richard Vincent and Dinah
IGI batch no: C160121 there are 5 entries here for Winterbourne Came for Vincent.
Richard Vincent married Dinah Stickland at Milton Abbas Dorset 18/12/1792
Milton Abbas is 10 miles from Winterbourne Came.
Patricia

[alamar]

Thanks listers for your help. I will listen to the recorcdings tonight. Yes the 1798 baptism in Winterborne-Came is the one I had in mind. The age given at census times pointed to a 1799/1800 birth and given the prevailing illiteracy of the times  I think this one is most likely. The names she gave to her children also point to this lady although she named none after her mother.

Many thanks

[chloed]

hi alamar
  i live in dorset and can confirm that no one uses the prefix winterborne here or ever did, if they come from a winterborne village they just say the second  part e.g kingston, whitechurch , stickland.
my ancestors all wrote kingston on their census returns took me ages to sort out which cos they had not stuck winterborne down

[stockman fred]

Hi all, slightly off topic but noticing the Vincents from Dorset on several posts -  A friend gave me a bible from a car boot sale which they thought belonged to my lot because of the names in the flyleaves.
I've found the family living in East Street , Corfe Castle in 1881, head James C.Vincent, Wife Mary and 7 sons all born at Corfe.
The bible belonged to" James Vincent, the gift of his granmother at her death Sep 5th 1858." There are several names and marriages down to 1904.
It can't be our lot because Gt gt gran came to Dorset from Homington Wilts c.1865. If it belongs to anyone, let us know!
Fred- I 'll put it on the "Bibles "page too.

[Lydart]

A slightly different way to appreciate the Dorset accent, is to read some of the poetry of Dorset poet, William Barnes, who was writing in the ??  1840's  ?? in Dorset dialect.   You can read a sample if you dont want to buy the book, on Amazon ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/085635032X/ref=sib_dp_bod_ex/202-8258952-8567808?ie=UTF8&p=S00J#reader-link[/color]