IMGP2891..jpgI bought a pretty glass at an antique fair in York yesterday. It can't be of much value as I only paid £3 for it but I would love to find out who it belonged to. It is engraved Sr A Vosper 1891.
Can anyone help?
Found this_Vosper & Company, often referred to simply as Vospers, was a Britishshipbuilding company based in Portsmouth, England. The Company was established in 1871 by Herbert Edward Vosper.
but no mention of Sr A Vosper
Is there any chance that "Sr" could be "Fr"? - that would suggest a Roman Catholic or Anglo-Catholic priest.
Or could "Sr" be "St"? - so that it's someone with a saintly Christian name - on the same lines as "St John" but, presumably, "St Anthony" or "St Ambrose" or something.
Or could "Sr" be "Sl", short for Samuel? - or some similar abbreviation idea?
I did have a quick trawl of Vosper males in the 1891 census, but didn't spot anything of very high probability. I think the most likely was a Devon-born London solicitor, but I'd have to go back and look again to tell you which. (There aren't huge numbers of names).
Christine
Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...
Sr could also stand for Sister as in a nun rather than a man whose name is engraved on the vase! Most nuns I knew were known as Sr whatever the name. Could have been given to her for a specific reason, intriguing to find out who she is! Try a convent somewhere in 1891.
Tricky, as many nuns did not use their own names at this time but mainly had professed names like Sr Paula, Sr Marie Therese, Sr Mary etc. However, this does sound like a real name so try A Vosper on 1891 Census and see what turns up. Leave out the sister part. It is not such a common name though finding the engraved glass in York does not necessarily mean trhat the person came from York but there was/is the Bar Convent in York and worth a try.
I have found Mr A Vosper on incoming passenger list to Liverpool from Columbia in 1913. He was a 1st class pasenger with his wife and son. He was an engineer. What do you think? Could this be senor Vosper?
Just a note that if someone went into a monastery or convent their baptismal name was changed to a saint's name. I understood from friends that RC children, at least in the past were given saints names as one of their forenames.
Ayse
Just thought I'd mention that one of my husband's relatives married a Louisa Blanche Vosper in Islington around 1900, although I know that most of her family were from Devon or Cornwall, she was born in Saltash. Can't help you with Sr A Vosper, her father was James. Good luck with the search.
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