Can anyone decipher this name?

[genjen]

Have you searched the OPRs for his birth and his parents' marriage?

And do you have him as a child or unmarried young man in any census? There could be clues there.


Jen

[Jean McGurn]

I think the three letters read as WAS instead of writing 'formerly'.

Jean

[Mum44]

I think the first two letters are M.S  -  standard abbreviation on Scottish records for Maiden Surname   

[Willison]

I think the first two letters are M.S  -  standard abbreviation on Scottish records for Maiden Surname   

Aye, c'mon  folks, even I knew that!      (That's why I wrote "the missing maiden surname is in the extract below....." in my original post.   

[redjed1]

Hi
First letter of surname looks like the first letter of the County (looks like a "H"), so Headdington ?
Fourth letter looks like the "K" in blacksmith.

I guess it says Hawkins or Hankins? although the writer's writing tends to deteriorate at the end of words.

John

[GeoffE]

First letter of surname looks like the first letter of the County (looks like a "H"), so Headdington ?

The county is Haddington, so nothing like that H in fact.

[genjen]

look at the H of O'Hara, below - it is much more elaborate than the one we are looking at. I'm still more inclined towards S at the beginning of the name.

Jen

[griz]

To me it looks like Gau _ ders.  or Gau - sers

The splodge in the middle(  where I have a missing letter) looks a bit like the splodge in the word above Euphemia Smith, whatever that word is :-))

It might be Saunders but is a very peculiar capital 'S'

[genjen]

Yes, I can see that it could be a capital G - with an elaborate flourish at the beginning.

My S is based on the S in Smith, which is a strangely straight way of writing the letter, but I also think if it is an S, it is immediately followed by a t.

It looks to me as if the word ends "ers"

It would be good to see another part of the certificate, in case there is anything else with which  we can compare this very odd word!

Jen