Place identification: Fitsel? Kitsel? Pitsel? Ritsel?

[nicholastolson]

I have a Harriet(t) Baldwin whose place of birth in Norfolk, in the census, is hard to read:

• 1851, found in Wingate, Durham: p.o.b. Ritsel or Kitsel?, Norfolk
• 1861, found in Castleford, Yorkshire: p.o.b. Litsel? (Ancestry indexes as Sitvill), Norfolk 
• 1871, found in Methley, Yorkshire: p.o.b. Tibenham, Norfolk
• 1881, found in Castleford, Yorkshire: p.o.b. Fitsall, Norfolk

I do know that all these Harriet(t)s are one and the same, and I do know where Tibenham is. Can you please help me with the others (presumably all variants on a single placename)?

For reasons I won't go into now, it would be nice if her place of birth turned out to be close to Saxlingham; Tibenham presents greater problems. Still, the main thing is to locate Fitsel/Litsel or however it's spelled. Many thanks.

[phenolphthalein]

May I suggest that the "ts" might in fact be "long s" followed by a "short s". sometimes long s looks like a y or an f.

[giggsycat]

Hi

Have you already trawled through this lot?

If not, I suggest you make yourself a cuppa before you start!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_in_Norfolk#F

"Can't sleep" Giggsy

[Ruskie]

According to Genuki, none of those places exist. The closest I could find is Tittleshall, but that is over 17 miles from Saxlingham.

Errors in interpretations of places of birth were quite common when people lived in a different county. Understandable.

[Ruskie]

Having looked at Harriet's place of birth on all of the censuses you mention, I'd say the place name looks more like Titsel, and variants - I think first letter is always a T (but Fibenham in the 1871).

Not much help sorry, but looking at the spellings of the places of birth of other family members, in many instances they are incorrectly spelled.

It probably comes down to how the place name sounds when it is spoken, as to how it was written on the census, which may bear little resemblance to how it is spelled in reality.

Added: Presumably you are looking for Harriet's birth? What is her maiden name? There are some excellent resources for Norfolk - you might just have to scout around a few places looking for her.

[Ruskie]

Another suggestion: Tivetshall?

[Rosinish]

Just to add to Ruskie's trail, could you please give dates for possible birth/when/where married with whether from the Parish she married in/name of her father with occupation to look for a possible birth/baptism?

Annie

[heywood]

Hello,

Looking at her marriage as Harriet Webster - father Ezekiel, there is an Ezekiel Websdale at 1841 757/4/2 - Tibbenham.
There are a couple of baptisms to Ezekiel and Mary Websdale/Websdil etc - one being Mary Ann in Tivetshall, 1821.
Harriet Websdale was baptised 1818, parents Ezekiel and Mary Prime but no place shown.
Family Search has this baptism - Aslacton.

Heywood

[Rosinish]

Heywood,

Seems to be the correct person, given the names & areas.

I don't understand when people give names & census place references that they don't add crucial info. to help others to help them.

A name on a census tells us nothing if we don't know when the person was born (circa) or anything else about them such as occupation to give clues for us?

Annie