Can anyone identify this place?

[wonkiewidge]

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll look into this.

It's nothing obvious then.

Cheers,

Linda

[Liz in France]

Hi Linda,

You've got a stinker here, very difficult.

I agree with Andrea inasmuch as it looks as if it starts with a B as seen in Bromley, Kent underneath.

However, every time I look at, I see Bedminster, often pronounced by locals as Beminster.  I know it is in Somerset but could easily be classed as Gloucestershire.

Having now looked at census entries, she does not seem to be at all consistent with her place of birth.  However, Wootton under Edge does seem to be favourite.

There are a lot of Workman families in W.U.E but as she was the daughter of James Workman, you should little difficulty in identifying her.

I think that all the censuses you have mentioned are for the same person.  I have found all from the time of her marriage in 1857 to Henry Crane.  The only concern is 1861 she has Samuel H 7 days old, 1871 she has Sarah 10 years and in 1881 has Samuel H 20.  1871 is definitely her as she is with Henry a cordwainer or shoemaker which is consistent throughout.  Is Sarah really Samuel?

Contact me by PM if you want the census details.

Best wishes,
Elizabth

[alpinecottage]

I think it could possibly be Bournstream, seriously mangled due to an unfamiliar accent and poor handwriting.  Bournstream is a hamlet of a few houses about 1-2 miles from Wotton, but in 19th century there were more dwellings than there are now and there was a brewery and a farm on the site.

There were two Workman families in North Nibley, about 2 miles further along the Wotton to Dursley road in 1851 and several Workman families in the Dursley/Cam area in 1841

[wonkiewidge]

Hi Liz & Alpine Cottage,

Thanks for the input.

Liz, I have the census details, but thanks for the offer.

I too think it begins with 'B'. I also think it has an 'm' and an 'a' in the middle. There is St. Martins & Marylebone  to compare, but unfortunately the 'M' is in the upper case. To me there also seems to be an 'i' as there is a dot above the word. I think there is a 't' as well. If you look at St. Martins, the angle of the 't' corresponds quite nicely with the one in the mystery place name. Do you think it could be a 'th'?

Bournstream doesn't seem to fit the word, but I take your point about accents and it being so close to WUE. It's worth a look.

I shall peruse the IGI and let you know if I find anything.

Cheers,

Linda

[alpinecottage]

There is no church at Bournstream, the nearest are at North Nibley and Wotton.  I don't know if either of those are on IGI.

The other point is that the enumerator went around at the time of the census collecting the information.  Then  he went home and transcribed the info onto the sheets we see today.  I'm suggesting that what with the Glarrrsterrrshoirrre accent and him being unfamiliar with the placenames and then trying to decipher his own handwriting - Bournstream could have sounded like Barnstrim, which then looked like Barmstrith 

Incidently, the census (can't remember which year) which records her birthplace as Gloucester refers to the county, not the city.  You can see the counties are on the left of the column and the towns are on the right throughout the whole page.  Wotton is a fairly small place (5000 today) so if you lived near Dursley or Thornbury or Stroud, you would name those places. I think you can be confident she came from within 5 miles of Wotton.   

[wonkiewidge]

Hi,

I've had a look on the IGI and the only Ann I can find was born in Wotton in 1819 father James. In 1841 there is a James Workman living in Bisley who is a wool carder with his wife Elizabeth and another older (age 70) relative Mary Workman, (on Ann's wedding certificate it gives her father's occupation as a weaver).  Unfortunately Ann is not with him.

In 1851 there is an Ann living with her Aunt Mary in Stroud. Ann was born in Wotton c. 1821. The aunt Mary now (79) would fit in nicely with the one that was with James in 1841.

Bisley isn't that near Wotton, but if she grew up around Bisley, maybe this is the area she gave for her birth in the 1871 census.

By the way the area in Bisley in the 1841 census is also a bit difficult to read. It begins with 'B' and ends in hill. Maybe it's the same place?


Linda

[wonkiewidge]

Hi, Alpine Cottage,

Looking at the map, Bisley seems a bit too far away, unless they moved there later.
I love your Glarrrsterrrshoirrre accent! When I looked at Bournstream on the map I saw a place called 'Tabernacle pitch'. The Ann Workman who appears on the IGI in 1819 at Wotton was baptised in The Tabernacle Calvinistic Methodist, Wotton Under Edge, Gloucester.

I'm beginning to suspect that this is her, but talk about Chinese whispers!

What do you reckon?

Linda

Oh, and I think the place name in Bisley might be Brownhills.

[alpinecottage]

Bisley is blooming miles away from Wotton - about half an hour away by car!  However there is Brownshill a mile or so to the southwest of Bisley, about 4 miles along the Stroud to Cirencester road.  However, if you were born in Brownshill, you would never say you came from Wotton under  Edge,  you would say you were from Stroud as that is quite a large place (10x the size of Wotton and only 3 or 4 miles away)

The Tabernacle is still there in Wotton, now used as an auction house - google it and you'll probably get a picture.  I think your Ann was probably the one from Wotton, though with names like Ann and James and Workman being quite common you can't be 100% sure - you just need one more bit of evidence.  Do you know Ann's siblings names and what did she call her own children, did she have any siblings or visitors staying with her for the censuses, were there any Gloucestershire born Workmans living nearby in London?  Don't suppose she or her husband or father left a will?

[RCB]

This is nearest I could find using Genuli villages and parishes

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/GLS/Randwick/Gaz1868.html