Ghobrail Glasgow

[muso_bob]

Thanks again Imber. That convention is unknown to me as although born in Scotland myself I have lived in Australia most of my life. I also recall at University my English Professor telling me that it was common to write a letter beginning: Dear Smith for example - completely disregarding the Christian Name. Here that would have been deemed uncouth. Cheers, Robert

[fifer1947]

Electoral Roll might help or Glasgow Directory? 

[muso_bob]

Thanks fifer 1947, do you know if they are available on Line perchance. I will be coming to UK beginning of 2012 and intend going to Northumberland for my mother's roots and would easily go to wherever I can access the directories while there. Online would help now rather than wait. BUt, will do whatever I have to do. Cheers,
Robert

[Jimster]

The voters roll are held at the Mitchell library in Glasgow and are not available online

The address can be found online on the 1913 valuation roll
It is a tenement block with 10 dwellings, occupiers are fairly "white collar" types, the rent value is quite high (around 2 - 3 times higher than in the East end of Glasgow).

No foreign names in 1913

Jim

[IMBER]

Some directories here, but only to 1911:

http://www.nls.uk/family-history/directories/post-office

As regards being addressed by surname I have only once received a letter starting "Dear Ayers", but that was from an ancient and very upmarket senior civil servant. I was tempted to use a similar style in my response but played safe by calling him "Sir John".

[sancti]

Could it be a Scottish gaelic derivative of Gabriel?

[greenrig]

Just to clarify (as I have not seen this stated in the thread), c/o Ghobrail means CARE OF Ghobrail.

CARE OF was a fairly common manner of address when you were sending a letter to someone who was lodging or staying with a family of another surname.  Very common just post-war when many families were dispersed.  Don't know if c/o was a Scottish convention only.

See http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/care_of

Also, a quick Google search on Ghobrail suggest that it is a rare, but real enough, surname - with origins in Middle East. 

Glasgow street directory 1933 - 152 West Graham Street - D Clark

[myyran]

Yeah! you are right Imber..this was common practice in Scotland when living with relatives, or living in furnished rooms. No tittle ...just the c/o name.  I would think the name could be foreign... maybe a friend or landlord.
Myyran
good luck

[MonicaL]

This must be connected...

There is a GHOBRIAL birth in Milton, Glasgow in 1947 (the only one with that surname - also using wildcards to pick up on spelling variantions - between 1855-1970).

There is also a Ghobrial marriage (groom's surname) in Blythswood, Glasgow showing in 1939.

These entries are showing on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. Unfortunately, these two entries are past the cut off to be viewed on line (1910 for births and 1935 for marriages currently) and would need to be ordered or looked up personally at one of the main Scottish genealogy centres.

Monica