« Reply #47 on: Friday 24 July 20 21:23 BST (UK) »
My common surnames.
Thats my headache. My Johnson ancestor married a Brown in the 1800s and I have never ever been certain I have the right Brown even doing DNA.
That is but 2 of my common surnames where there are to many choices that "could be" my ancestor and there is no way I can rule out every possible one. This is in the Durham Northumberland area.
Best wishes from Canada.
Oh Durham, Northumberland and Essex IMHO are very difficult counties to research due to the higher amount of the same surnames in those 3 counties. The amount of Brown's, Wilsons, Hodgsons, Robson's and Johnson's is astronomical. You may find the odd name like Smurthwaite thrown in for a variety.
Essex is the same, the sheer amount of Mead's, Webb's, Groves, Woods, Hurrell's, Moss', Newman's, Alger's and Cornwell's is high outside Smith's and Brown's. If I have an ancestor born about 1750, I have about 10 candidates to choose from. it is virtually impossible to know which, if any of them is mine if they did not leave a will. You may find a sibling through a witness to a marriage but even then about 6 of the candidates have a sibling of the same name.
Researching:
LONDON, Coombs, Roberts, Auber, Helsdon, Fradine, Morin, Goodacre
DORSET Coombs, Munday
NORFOLK Helsdon, Riches, Harbord, Budery
KENT Roberts, Goodacre
SUSSEX Walder, Boniface, Dinnage, Standen, Lee, Botten, Wickham, Jupp
SUFFOLK Titshall, Frost, Fairweather, Mayhew, Archer, Eade, Scarfe
DURHAM Stewart, Musgrave, Wilson, Forster
SCOTLAND Stewart in Selkirk
USA Musgrave, Saix
ESSEX Cornwell, Stock, Quilter, Lawrence, Whale, Clift
OXON Edgington, Smith, Inkpen, Snell, Batten, Brain