1654 marriage

[Kessa]

Could someone help me with the surname of the bride in this marriage entry from Symondsbury, Dorset on 15 Feb 1654/55. 
The entry reads Jonathan Curland & Tamfon (Tamson) ........ marryed.

I just can't make out the bride's surname - I've looked at a guide to handwriting in the 1600s and the best I can come up with is that it starts with a small letter b.  It's been transcribed as Leves and Benet in indexes to Symondsbury marriages I've checked. 

I'd appreciate some opinions.  I've included as much of the surrounding writing as I could.
Many thanks

[arthurk]

I agree with you about the lower case 'b', and to me the surname looks like Benes. To compare a final 's' and 't', see the entry above, plus various others.

I could be wrong with the middle letter - as with many hands, 'n' is more or less identical to 'v' or 'u'. I know you're supposed to transcribe what's written, but this may be a case where it pays to look for other examples to see if they're any clearer.

Incidentally, I read the bride's forename as Tamsen - it's a typical 'e' of the period, which is often mistaken for 'o', but the ones here that must be 'o' are a simple circle with no loop, and with no (or barely any) connection to the following letter.

[goldie61]

It looks like 'benes'.

The first letter is a classic small letter 'b, although the scribe does use a capital 'B' in other surnames - that's not to say he couldn't have reverted to a small letter in this case though.
See the names Joane Crab in 2 entries above  this one.

I'd say the last letter is an 's'. Compare it to the last letter of the name of Philip Stevens 4 entries below it. Also in the entry for Richard Neseter and Joane Hodges 3 entries above Jonathan Curland.
In this entry for Philip Stevens, the 'v' and 'n' are virtually indistinguishable. Unless he was called 'Stenens', which is highly unlikely.
In which case Tamsen's name could be 'beves'.

By the way, her name is 'Tamsen', not Tamson. You can see the backward loop of the 'e' quite clearly.

Added
Snap arthurk!
Posts crossed so I thought I'd post it anyway for corroboration.

[Kessa]

Thanks so much for the two replies.  I don't know whether this will confirm Benes or not but I have found another entry for the marriage in the Bridport registers.  The writing is worse but you may be able to make something of it.  Thanks for the correction of Tamsen's name.

All suggestions appreciated.

[goldie61]

Well that's interesting!
I'd say it's definitely not any version of 'benes'!

The entry reads:
Jonathan Cupland of the paresh
of Symonsbury and Thamsten
? of the Same were married
the xiiij th day

I can't see on your clip which month this was.
The date on the clip from Symonsbury is Feb 8th 1654.

I would say Thamsten's name starts with a capital 'S'.
Compare it to 'Symonsbury' and 'Same', plus others in the clip.
It's the classic curled S of this hand.
It's very difficult to make out the other letters in her name.
What looks like a long 's' at the end of it is the tail of the 'y' in Symonsbury in the line above.
'Sims'?

This clerk also uses a small 'b' - the last entry on the right is for Edward Thorman of the parish of 'burton'.
It's nothing like the first letter of Thamsten's name.

It's less than 2 miles between Bridport and Symonsbury, so not a lot of room for mishearing a name with possibly a different accent.

[Kessa]

Thanks Goldie for having a look at the other image.  I thought it might be Sims too but just wasn't sure when the other entry started with a b! 

There's no accounting for the different names and I'll have to live with it but there are a lot more Sims about that area than there are Benes.

Thanks again for your time and help.

[goldie61]

At least you have a fairly unusual first name to look for.
Somewhat easier than a Mary or Ann. Although finding the variations of spelling of it may prove interesting!