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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: toby webb on Friday 20 October 17 14:50 BST (UK)
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This is the occupation of John Beaven as seen at his daughter Betty's baptism on 12 May 1774. I could make an abreviated 'blacksmith' out of it but the BT( I think that is what it is) writes 'Beaker' which doesn't mean anything to me. Any ideas anyone? Thanks, Toby.
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Looks like Beaker on this version as well.
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Toby -- have you found the baptisms of any other children just in case the occupation differs on those?
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Could it possibly be an old way of writing baker :-\
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So far this is the only entry I have foundof children of John & Betty. T
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I think my money is on your suggestion Gadget. However, I am a Moonraker myself and it just doesn't sound right. T
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I'm note sure whether we have looked at the same baptism entry at Calne:
The one I see states " 12 May 1773 - Betty Beaven daughter of John and Mary Hand born 3 April - Beaker"
My personal interpretation of that entry is that Betty's surname is Hand rather than Beaven :-\ :-\
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I agree with you BumbleB, that the mother's maiden name was indeed Hand.(That is a bonus not seen often enough) . The daughter was given her name too. T
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There is an entry for Sarah, daughter of John and Betty Hand, Beaker, born 27 April baptised 7 May 1777 - Calne
William, son of John and Betty Hand, Day Labourer, baptised 14 May 1769 - Calne
John, son of John and Betty Hand, Labourer, baptised 23 April 1758
Christian, son of John and Betty Hand, DL, baptised 1764
Joseph, son of John and Betty Hand, BAKER, baptised 25 November 1759 - see attachment
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Joseph, son of John and Betty Hand, BAKER, baptised 25 November 1759 - see attachment
:D
Another word for Baker is Baxter as well.
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I was going to agree with Gadget that it could be a local spelling of Baker, but not necessarily indicating any different pronunciation, cf 'break'.
However, Joseph Wright's English Dialect Dictionary Vol.1 p.204 (http://www.rootschat.com/links/01j6q/) offers an interesting alternative. Apparently there's a Wiltshire word Beak meaning either to break up ground, or the tool with which you do it - it's described as a curved mattock.
I also checked the OED but didn't spot 'beaker' as an alternative for 'baker' (though I have come across surnames where 'ea' and 'a' seem to be interchangeable), so I'm really not sure either way on this one. BumbleB's extra evidence appeared while I was writing this, so now I'm wondering whether the occupation is Baker sometimes spelt Beaker, or Beaker sometimes spelt Baker. :-\
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The entries I posted:
Sarah - John and Betty Hand
William - John and Betty Hand
John - John Hand and Betty his wife
Christian - John Hand and Betty his wife
Joseph - John Hand and Betty his wife
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Think I'll now go with the breaker upper, Arthur - given that he's a labourer in the other entries.
Added - BB - could Beaven be the middle name of Betty?
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Gadget - that is my thought as well.
I've found another couple of baptisms:
Betty, daughter of John and Betty Hand, 3 September 1755
John, son of John Hand and Betty his wife, 7 December 1766 - DL
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Marriage - Calne March 9 1772 - John Hand and Betty Beaven
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It doesn't say anything on the parish record, but just wondering whether Betty Beaven is John's second wife. :-\
Two burials at Calne:
7 October 1755 - Betty wife of John Hand
6 October 1782 - Betty wife of John Hand, Labourer
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Could John Hand have had parents called John and Betty :-\
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Sketchy timeline - all Calne - all baptisms are for children of John and Betty Hand, but with differing occupations (Labourer, Day Labourer, Beaker and Baker)
Baptism - Betty - 1755
Burial - Betty - wife of John - 1755
Baptism - John - 1758
Baptism - Joseph - 1759
Baptism - Christian - 1764
Baptism - John - 1768
Baptism - William - 1769
Marriage - John and Betty Beaven - 1772
Baptism - Betty Beaven - 1773
Baptism - Sarah - 1777
Burial - Betty, wife of John Hand, Labourer - 1782
I haven't checked burials at Calne, other than those noted above.
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Two other marriages of a John Hand and a Betty/Elizabeth in Calne before Betty Beaven:
12 May 1745 - Elizabeth Bernard
21 August 1757 - Betty Page
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Ah, that 1757 marriage fits in well - well done.
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Was it just one John Hand ???
Any burials?
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Burials of John Hand at Calne - 1748 - 1812:
24 March 1748/9 - John son of John
31 December 1753 - John son of John
4 April 1764 - John, son of John
15 December 1789 - John Hand, Workhouse, Labourer
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There's now another thread about the term Beaker in Calne registers - see https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=809686.0.
My wife has kindly compared some burial entries with wills and found someone described as a Beaker in the register and Baker in his will (see Reply #2 in that thread), so adding that to BumbleB's findings in Reply #8 here, I think in this case the 'ground-breaking' suggestion has well and truly bitten the dust.
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Could it possibly be an old way of writing baker :-\
;D
? Did you miss this?
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Could it possibly be an old way of writing baker :-\
;D
? Did you miss this?
No - see the start of my comment at Reply #10. It's just that BumbleB was the one who found the evidence in the registers.
I'm happy to confirm that your initial opinion was correct - as indeed was mine until I started digging around and confusing everyone. ::)
Including you:
Think I'll now go with the breaker upper, Arthur - given that he's a labourer in the other entries.
O what power I wield! ;) :-X
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What about the previous 12 postings from Bumble and I that you haven't acknowledged :(
Gadget
Add - from #11onwards
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Other than this:
Sketchy timeline - all Calne - all baptisms are for children of John and Betty Hand, but with differing occupations (Labourer, Day Labourer, Beaker and Baker)
on a quick re-read they didn't appear to mention the word Beaker or its possible meaning.
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Whether it did or not, it's always polite to acknowledge others.
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I'm sorry you felt I'd ignored you, Gadget - it certainly wasn't my intention, and I've always considered your contributions to be some of the most helpful ones I read here.
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Accepted, Arthur :)
I was surprised that this thread was from Oct 2017 and you'd not replied to the later posts. You are usually quite prompt.
BumbleB's a good 'un too :D
Gadget