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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Mogsmum on Thursday 17 April 08 23:06 BST (UK)
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Not for the first time, I'm confused.
It's too long a story to give all the background, so I'll just ask ... would you expect to find a 'Dennis' born around 1842?
I think (because of the writing) it's more likely to be 'Daniel', but there is definitely a Dennis (who would have been a nephew) born in 1879. Trouble is I can't find any reference to the first 'Dennis' prior to the 1881 census when he was 31.
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Not so sure about Dennis with that spelling, but we had a local monk here in S. Wales called St Denys ... in about the seventh century !
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Hi
The 1841 Cencus alone has 2869 Dennis as a forename....... :o :) so it wasnt all that uncommon..
Jane :)
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DENNIS is a Variant of DENIS the medieval form of DIONYSIUS. Saint Denis was a 3rd-century missionary to Gaul who was beheaded in Paris. He is the patron saint of France.
http://www.behindthename.com/name/dennis
Stan
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Trouble is I can't find any reference to the first 'Dennis' prior to the 1881 census when he was 31.
FreeBMD shows about 450 births of boys (and the occasional girl) registered with the name Dennis (this spelling - I didn't check others) either as a first or a middle name in England & Wales within 1 year of 1849. For the handful of girls with middle name Dennis it was perhaps a mother's maiden name or family name in one way or another.
For what it's worth, it seems to me that a notably large proportion of the registrations have a surname suggestive of Irish ancestry.
Anna
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For what it's worth, it seemed to me that a notably large proportion of the registrations have a surname suggestive of Irish ancestry.
Anna
I've got an Irish ancestor born in about 1810 named Dennis Scully, so definitely a given name in use, at least in Ireland, before then. With the immigration into England during and after the Famine, the name would have spread into non-Irish communities a lot more.
Glen
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would you expect to find a 'Dennis' born around 1842?
The British 19th Century Surname Atlas, switched to forename mode, shows the period of peak popularity for naming children Dennis to be around 1841!!!
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Is the 19th Century Surname Atlas available online anywhere, or just on cd? Would be an interesting link.
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On CD It only costs a tenner (or so)
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Is the 19th Century Surname Atlas available online anywhere, or just on cd? Would be an interesting link.
It gives distribution maps for all of the surnames and forenames found in the 1881 census of England, Scotland and Wales.
See http://www.archersoftware.co.uk/satlas01.htm
Stan
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would you expect to find a 'Dennis' born around 1842?
The British 19th Century Surname Atlas, switched to forename mode, shows the period of peak popularity for naming children Dennis to be around 1841!!!
How do you get that from the Atlas ??? I can't see how to :) Is this possible on the latest version ??? I have version 1.03
Stan
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One of my ancestors is variously recorded as Dennis, Dionysus, Denys. He was baptised in 1601. He came from Sussex.
I think the name is older than we sometimes realise. I don't think its use was widespread.
Nell
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Here's another free resource for surnames, including 1881
http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/
Kind regards, Arranroots ;)
(Who also has an Irish Denis, about the timeframe you are talking about)
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My GGGG Grandfather, Dennis Turvey was born in 1811.
Try searching around the name. He was on one census transcribed as Donnis Turney ::)
Andrew
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Arranroots .. I like that National Trust site ! Looks useful; have already tried it out and found a few location surprises !
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Thanks to you all. But - damn! I had hoped there'd be a resounding 'no' :)
My Dennis's father was a Daniel and definitely not Irish.
However, since I can't check the Parish records for myself, I guess I'll have to accept the word of the person who says they did.
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Which parish was it Mogsmum.
Maybe someone can re-check for you.
Sandy
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Hi
My gt gt gt gt grandfather Denis Bill was born in Staffordshire in 1809. I have traced his parentage back on both sides to the early 17th century and have found no Irish influences.
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For what it's worth, it seems to me that a notably large proportion of the registrations have a surname suggestive of Irish ancestry.
Anna
I would suggest that they were Roman Catholics and the name is used as a result of the practice of naming children after the nearest saints day. I am not sure whether this relates to their birth or baptism but it had some peculiar effects like boys called Mary.
David
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Which parish was it Mogsmum.
Maybe someone can re-check for you.
Sandy
Ashton, Northants. The 1851 Census shows Daniel (Snr.) and his wife Mary Ann, together with 5 children, the first of which I (together with the Ancestry transcriber) see as 'Daniel'. Norman Tew however, whose information I understand to have come from the Parish records themselves, has it interpreted as Dennis.
So, as I say, I is much confused :-\
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If it's the Malcher? family in Ashton 1851 HO107/1737 folio 333 page 17 I would say that the 9 year old child is Dennis.
Casalguidi :)
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That's the one casalguidi - thank you for taking a look. If you think its Dennis and Norman Tew thinks its Dennis, then I guess ... its Dennis!
Wonder where they suddenly got that name from? Still, in years to come I'm guessing people will be wondering the same about 'Britney', 'Cruz' and pity the poor soul who has to decipher a 'Fifi-Trixibell'. ;D
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Have you looked for his birth on Free MBD, beacuse this looks possible.
Dennis MALCHER 1841, Dec., Pottespury, v. 15, p.336
Jebber
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Dennis is listed in the Oxford Names Companion - as being
English and French medieval vernacular form of the Greek name Dioinysios. which was held by sveral early Christian Saints
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The IGI has the following:
Dennis MALCHER bap 17 Oct 1841, Ashton, Northampton, England
Parents Daniel MALCHER & Mary Ann MALCHER
It's one of those weird 'I' batches - which have no source information but do seem to have been transcribed from church records i.e. not submitted.
The batch also has Caroline bap 25 Mar 1853, Ashton, to the same parents but with surname spelled MOLSHER.
A parent search also finds to the same parents (all Ashton and all 'I' batches):
Jane MOLSHER bap 25 Oct 1857
Frederic MOLSHER bap 18 Mar 1860
William John Ede MOLSHER bap 12 Oct 1862
JAP
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PS: Probable marriage from FreeBMD
Daniel MOLSHER Sep qtr 1840 Potterspury
Mary Ann BETHUNE on the same page.
PPS: Daniel & Mary Ann MALCHER and family (Caroline, Frederic, and William JE) are in Ashton in 1871 - Daniel transcribed as David. Dennis isn't with them.
PPPS: in 1871, Dennis (married with children) has been transcribed as MATCHER.
PPPPS: in 1861, Dennis (lodging in Lambeth) has been transcribed as MOTCHER and his age which is clearly 20 in the image has been transcribed as 30.
PPPPPS: Dennis's marriage is on FreeBMD in 1862 - Dennis as MALCHER; a Charlotte Mary EDE on the same page.
Hope some of this has helped.
JAP
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Again my thanks.
I tend forget about FreeBMD - mainly because 90% of those I've searched for have returned zero matches, even when I have a certificate for that individual in my hot little hand - I'll give it another go.
MM