Why was he a Mr.

[ozgirl]

I have traced one line of my family back to Robert Cording who died in Dunster, Somerset in 1772. Dunster's parish records have been transcribed on line. Would there be a reason why Robert has (Mr) after every entry of his name, and no-one else on the registers has this?

Linda

[Darksecretz]

I have no idea Linda, perhaps he was a 'gentleman'? I certainly havent seen anything like it.

[Olde Crone Holden]

One of my ancestors is always recorded as "Mr". As Julie says, it was to denote that he was of importance in the parish and required respect!

OC

[Janet]

Are you sure it is Mr and not MS? MS was a Male Servant and used quite a lot in the 1700/1800's. I have a number of these. If it is a transcription then that is often a mistake!

OC beat me to it somaybe it is Mr!

Janet

[ozgirl]

Thanks for your thoughts. I did find a mention of a Robert Cording of Wiveliscombe in Somerset who was given a Medical Licence by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1691. Unfortunately I don't know where my Robert was born, but there are a lot of Cordings in Wiveliscombe, so there may be some connection. I think it is unlikely that Dr. Robert is the same one though, as that would mean that he would have had to live to about 100.

Linda

[Anne in Carlisle]

None of mine have been called Mr in the Parish Records but I have often noticed it. I agree with OC - the person writing the records used it as they would have done to the person if they were speaking to them directly. Someone of standing in the parish who even the vicar would call Mr.

Anne

[kiki1982]

It could be 'manservant' or something, but are you sure it cannot be an abbreviation of 'master', i.e. the eldest son of a gentleman (of fortune) or gentleman farmer or something who was still alive at te time of the marriage. They would call them 'master William' f.e.

Gentlemen of fortune (own income) were usually called 'esq(uire)', and that also often features in parish records I have seen.

[ozgirl]

He had the abbreviation after his name on his burial -He would have been about 70 then, so I doubt a "Master"! This is only on a transcript on line, so I can only say what is there. There are two other men in the village that seem to warrant this title, maybe they were the "gentlemen". Interestingly, one of Roberts daughters married someone who had the profession "gentleman", so presumably they would have been roughly the same class.

Linda

[kiki1982]

haha. Ok I must have been sleeping! :o

[WendyPusey]

I transcribe PRs for FreeReg and most of those with Mr. after their names are as OC says, someone of importance.

[Olde Crone Holden]

In my experience of country parish regs, Esq meant gentry, Mr meant someone of importance but not necessarily gentry - my Greens were gentlemen farmers, were distantly descended from gentry, but were not actually gentry themselves - just wealthy farmers with a lot of local clout and influence.

I have never seen "master" used in a PR to denote a young boy, but have very occasionally seen "heir of" when a first son dies young.

OC

[Uncle John]

Going back to Wiveliscombe, I have a couple of exceeding posh families with houses in the area. Not my direct rellies, I hasten to add, just something "to add verisimilitude to an otherwise unconvicing narrative" as W S Gilbert put it.