Help reading names, please?

[zoejg]

I've just found a bizarre 1861 census record in which three sons of the family have all been transcribed as having the name John. Seems a bit unlikely to me! The writing on the image is really flowery, and I was wondering if anyone would be willing to take a look and see what they think the names actually are.

It's the 1861 census for Kingswinford, Pensnett, Staffs. Piece 2070, Folio 82, Page12. The transcription is:

Edwd Worton, aged approx 2
Elizabeth Worton, aged approx 8
Harriett Worton, aged approx 30
John Worton, aged approx 29
John Worton, aged approx 11
John Worton, aged approx 5
John Worton, aged approx 9 Mo

I have checked the relationship to head on the actual image, and the last three Johns are all listed as son of the John Worton who is 29 and Harriett.

1851 doesn't give me a clue to the name of "John" aged 11 - his father was still with his parents, unmarried.

1871 gives me a SALOMON WORTON aged 21
1881 and 1891 give me younger children but none old enough to be in the 1861 census

None of the names looks at all like Salomon to me :(

Can anyone help?

Many thanks,
Zoe

[Elaine ..Spain]

On the 1861 the name under Harriet looks like Solm - which would match with your Solomon/Salomon in the later census.

Still working on the others!

[margaretmarch]

Hi,
Had a look and I think it's
Soloman (Sol'm)11
Elizabeth 8
John 5
Edward(E'wd) 2
Robert (Rob't) 9 months
Hope this helps.
Margaret

[zoejg]

Thanks, both.

I think Soloman is pretty definite for the 11 year old, since it matches his age in the later census. I can't find a corresponding birth registration for a Robert Worton, but then again, I can't find one for Soloman/Saloman, either. There are a couple of possible births of John Wortons around the right time in Stourbridge.

I keep squinting at the entry for the baby but I can't make it look like Rob't :(

Zoe

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I agree with Margaret!

[KiteRunner]

Could the baby be Josh. short for Joseph?

[KiteRunner]

There is a Joseph Worton birth registered Jun quarter 1860 Stourbridge, vol 6c, p229. I know that doesn't mean very much since there are loads of Wortons in that district!

[zoejg]

Hi Kiterunner,

Personally, I think it's more likely to be Josh = Joseph than Robert, but I'm going to keep an open mind and hope I find more evidence! Indeed there are loads of Wortons in that district. Before I started my research I had thought Worton wasn't a particularly common name. Oh well...

Zoe

[KiteRunner]

You could try looking through the other census pages written by the same enumerator looking for Roberts and Josephs written more clearly, and see which of them looks more like the mystery name.

[zoejg]

Thanks, that's a good idea. I did take a good look at all the names on the same page, trying to identify the letters, but I've not looked at other pages yet.

[HeatherD]

I wonder if westmidlandsbmd would be more helpful.
There's a Joseph registered in Kingswinford in 1860.

[zoejg]

Thanks, Heather! I still don't think I have anywhere near enough information to be certain her, especially since there's also a Joseph registered in Dudley the same year. Conceivably it could be either. Or neither, lol!

Zoe