Moffett/Moffatt

[edi_e]

I’ve been tracing my family on ancestry and was wondering if it’s likely/possible that some of them were travellers? Surnames are Moffett/Moffatt (misspelled with one t or as Maffett in one record), Dawe/Daw (also misspelled as Dane or Dave), Smith, Rogers, Taylor, Nicholls (Nichols/Nicholes), Eastwood and Williams. Some of the first names that I thought were slightly unusual are Patience, Priscilla, Phoebe, Reuben, Olive, Abraham, Samson, Tabitha, Girie, Job and Stone (with some of these being used lots of times even in different families). Mostly in the London, Kent, Sussex area but with some being from Cornwall also. A lot of the census records are missing occupations but the ones I have seen are cooper, hawker, shipwright, carter and factory hand. A lot of them seem to have moved around a lot within London/Kent or children being born in different places but some travelled further and some of them were admitted to workhouses or poor hospitals. Thanks if anyone has any insight!

[CaroleW]

Welcome to Rootschat

Without christian names or birthyears/birthplaces it's difficult to give any opinions.

Could you post some census details to help us look at the different families?

[J.R.Ellam]

Hi & welcome

I have a Moffatt branch in my family but they are from the Birstall area the surname can also be down as Moffitt & you can have them spelt with a u instead of the o.

Going by the information on the occupations I would say they could have been journeymen.

John

[acorngen]

Moffatt is in my tree also but mine are in Scotland and my gg grandfather bigamously marrying my gg grandmother in Leeds.  I cant say I have ever connected the name to the travelling community though

[rosie99]

I’ve been tracing my family on ancestry and was wondering if it’s likely/possible that some of them were travellers? Surnames are Moffett/Moffatt (misspelled with one t or as Maffett in one record), Dawe/Daw (also misspelled as Dane or Dave), Smith, Rogers, Taylor, Nicholls (Nichols/Nicholes), Eastwood and Williams. Some of the first names that I thought were slightly unusual are Patience, Priscilla, Phoebe, Reuben, Olive, Abraham, Samson, Tabitha, Girie, Job and Stone (with some of these being used lots of times even in different families).

Many of those names are biblical and commonly used at that time

Is this them 
1881
Henry Moffett 28 occ Carman   bn Deptford, Kent
Ellen   Moffett  26   bn Deptford, Kent
Ellen   Dawe. 6   bn Deptford, Kent
Emily Moffett   bn Deptford, Kent

In 1891 they are showing a daughter 'Girie' age 9
Possibly this registration
MOFFETT, ELIZABETH  MARY     mmn DAWE 
GRO Reference: 1881  Dec Quarter in GREENWICH  Volume 01D  Page 973

sister Emily
MOFFATT, EMILY  SOPHY     mmn DAWE 
GRO Reference: 1880  Sept Quarter in GREENWICH  Volume 01D  Page 937

ADDED
I can't see any other instances where the name Girie is being used.  The 1911 has one but that is a wrongly trancribed Girtie