Place name in West London

[stitchwitch]

Could be Nr London

That's what FindMyPast have it transcribed as, conveniently missing out the word in question, but when you examine the actual image it's pretty clearly a "W".

[LizzieW]

There are a few Harriets married to William Bowden but the most likely seems to have been a Harriet Tidboald, then again her birth place varies, but always around Devon, including Tiverton.  I wonder if she said Tiverton with a Devon accent, crossed with a Manchester accent (she was after all living in Openshaw which is on the outskirts of Manchester) and she said Tiverton and she was misheard and the enumerator thought she'd said Teddington?

[LizzieW]

By the way, her Sturgess husband's birth place should be Doveridge, Derbyshire.

[Ellenmai]

Think you have hit the nail on the head Lizzie regarding the consequence of an accent when relaying info for Census returns 

[George.]

Hello lizzie,

I have George's birthplace as Doveridge, thank you, and the more that I look and think about where Harriet was actually from the more convinced I am that I will never know.

I would image that dialects were probably stronger and less well understood in those days so you may well be correct.

[Lostris]

I wonder if she said Tiverton with a Devon accent, crossed with a Manchester accent (she was after all living in Openshaw which is on the outskirts of Manchester) and she said Tiverton and she was misheard and the enumerator thought she'd said Teddington?

The Enumerator will have copied what he read from the Household Return ; yes, they sometimes helped with filling the Form, but not as frequently as thought ... sadly the Returns were only saved for the 1911 census

[LizzieL]

George are you sure Harriet's maiden name was Rowden? I have looked up their son John born 1846 and there are two John Sturgess born Manchester 1845 (none in 1846) one mother was Bowden the other Horrand. A Harriet Bowden married George Sturgess 22/4/1834 Manchester.

Daniel Sturgess mmn Boden reg Chorlton district Q3 1839 vol 20 p 197
James Sturges mmn Howard  reg Chorlton district Q2 1842 vol 20 p218

I can only find one entry for John 1845 with mmn Horrard (poss a misreading / mistranscription of Howard?
 

[Ruskie]

I looked at this when it was first posted (prior to knowing details of the people it relates to ) and could not work out the place name. I still have no idea. However reading this:

Could be Nr London

That's what FindMyPast have it transcribed as, conveniently missing out the word in question, but when you examine the actual image it's pretty clearly a "W".

I am not so sure it is a W ..... there is an odd squiggle at the end of the tail of the W which you wouldn't expect to be there when someone was hurriedly form fillling. It also may be logical to give a place name Nr London, rather than in West London, especially if people in other counties may not have heard of it, otherwise why not just write 'London', or 'place name' Middlesex? 

Has anyone checked other capital Ws on the page to compare?

[stitchwitch]

I looked at this when it was first posted (prior to knowing details of the people it relates to ) and could not work out the place name. I still have no idea. However reading this:

Could be Nr London

That's what FindMyPast have it transcribed as, conveniently missing out the word in question, but when you examine the actual image it's pretty clearly a "W".

I am not so sure it is a W ..... there is an odd squiggle at the end of the tail of the W which you wouldn't expect to be there when someone was hurriedly form fillling. It also may be logical to give a place name Nr London, rather than in West London, especially if people in other counties may not have heard of it, otherwise why not just write 'London', or 'place name' Middlesex? 

Has anyone checked other capital Ws on the page to compare?

Yep. that's why I'm leaning towards a W.

Stitch