How is Hedon pronounced?

[leesmob]

My ancestor, John NEWSAM (born c1800), married at Silkstone in 1823 and remained in the Barnsley area until his death in 1865. His birthplace is recorded in 1851 census as Eden, Yorkshire and  in 1861 as Headon, Yorkshire. Wherever he was born it seems to be pronounced with a long 'ee'. The only places I can find in Yorkshire that sound similar are Yeadon or Hedon (depending on pronunciation) and possibly Elland. Is Hedon pronounced with a long 'e'? Does anyone have any other suggestions?

[terrac]

locally we pronounce it "Head - n". 

[leesmob]

Thanks Terac. Looks like I can probably cross Hedon off my list of likely places.

[Mike in Cumbria]

Thanks Terac. Looks like I can probably cross Hedon off my list of likely places.

Not necessarily. Pronunciations do change over time. I lived and worked for a long time in East Yorkshire, and those with the strongest accents (eg my brother in law!) pronounced "head" more like "eared".

Thus, "headache" is "eared-wahk". Toothache was "teerth-wahk". Oak and ash are "yak and esh"

[terrac]

Just to throw this in though.  With the Hull accent we tend to miss off our H's.   Sorry it's so easy to forget when you come from around here.

So your Eden is actually a possibility if the enumerator wasn't a local - which many weren't

So "Head - N" i originally said is more like "Ed - N"  with a Hull Yorkshire accent.    It is more blunt and certainly not pronounced with a long Eeee.

[terrac]

Thus, "headache" is "eared-wahk". Toothache was "teerth-wahk". Oak and ash are "yak and esh"

for me Oak would be Errk.  Headache - "Ed-ake", Toothache "toof-ake".    Road is "rerd". 

Hull is 'Ull. 

Regards

Ray

[Mike in Cumbria]

Just goes to show that there is no such thing as one "Yorkshire accent". There is massive variation within the county,

[leesmob]

So not clear cut at all. Barnsley does seems like an unlikely place to move to from Hull, but you never know. Thanks everyone for your input - food for thought.

[BumbleB]

I wonder if there was a small locality that was known as Eden at the time.  I have someone in one of the census returns saying that they were born in Egypt, Yorkshire.  The enumerator did query it    However, on looking into it further, there is an Egypt in Yorkshire, just outside Baildon - only a few houses, but it is there! 

Added:  I should have said "Thornton"