Please Help Find Susannah Bewley COMPLETED

[Frances]

I am looking for Susannah Bewley who married Thomas Burr in Mereworth 17 August 1795. I know the IGI lists her as Bentley,
but a fellow  researcher of 20 years ago  researched the Parish Records Records and noted it as Bewley. Any help on this would be very gratefully received.....long standing brick wall!!
Thanks, Frances

[MrsLizzy]

Hi Frances, have you tried any alternative spellings?  Beaulieu is one that springs to mind.  Bewley is how this French name meaning "fine place" or "beautiful place" would be pronounced.  Then again of course it could have been misheard as Booley, Bowley, and that's without checking any similar sounding consonants such as Dewley Pewley or Mooley. 

[Frances]

Hi MrsLizzy,

Thankyou for replying to this message. There is now quite a group of us all researching the same family. The person I referred to in my previous posting was actually allowed by the vicar of that time to spend a few hours examining the registers so we are pretty sure of the spelling. I had an email from him only last night. The amount of research he did when it meant travelling around to view documents with no computers to help was amazing! It is possible that the vicar could have enterd it wrongly.

I think between us we have followed every spelling we can think of but I will research the names you suggested.. just to be sure.
I will let you know if you have solved our puzzle!

Thanks again, Frances

[Adi1962]

I think its worth remembering that the person writting record was probably the only person present that could read or write, therefore without any correction would have spelt it as it was spoken to them.

I have had all sorts of problems with simple names such a Louis / Lewis / lueis / loowis

[Frances]

Hi Adi1962,

Yes, you are correct, we know that relatives witnessed by mark on other weddings. So reasonable to expect them to probably not to be any different a generation earlier.

We have a rare surname in our family, in every entry in the books at the FRC the spelling is correct. When it comes to censuses it is a nightmare. The enumerators wrote as said to them, the variations are amazing. Only one person has ever been correct, even then the others in the household who were also family were entered differently.

Its great though we you solve something, is'nt it? The buzz you get is terrific. Onward to the next one!!!
 Regards, Frances