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Archiver > LONDON > 2000-11 > 0973135506


From: "Hugh Wallis" <>
Subject: [Lon] When did multiple christian names start to be common?
Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2000 22:25:06 -0500


Dear Listers

I apologize a bit for posting this on the London list since the family in
question were living in Hampshire at the time. However, the Louisa for whom
I am searching did give birth to my great grandfather in London in 1851.
Since there is such a large number of very knowledgeable genealogists
hanging out on this list, and since this question may be of general
genealogical interest, I thought I would post it here.

While on the hunt for my Louisa Mary Bonny VOSPER (prob born before 1840) I
encountered a family (via the IGI) almost all of whom had multiple christian
names.

James and Sarah VOSPER's children were all christened Holy Trinity, Gosport,
Hants as follows:

Emma Sophia - 17 Nov 1797
Louisa Lavinia - 16 Mar 1800
Frederick Bassett Jones Parker - 24 May 1802
Eliza Leonora Thompson - 2 Jan 1805
Charles John - 29 Dec 1807
James Henry Alfred - 12 Jul 1808
Selina - 9 May 1810 - (had they got tired of thinking up names?)
Louisa Philippa - 27 Sep 1811 -- oops - looks like the older Louisa may
have died - sad

I always wondered at my Louisa's 3 christian names since I thought that was
a bit odd for the time. Since almost all of this family used 2 or 3
christian names I'm wondering how much this might point to a possible
connection with
this family, especially as there are some indications that she may have come
from Hampshire, and there are very very few families with this last name in
Hampshire even as late as 1881. Just how unusual was this multiple christian
name situation at this time (late eighteenth, early nineteenth century)?

Thanks
Hugh Wallis
Stouffville, Ontario, Canada
Formerly of Reigate, Surrey, UK and sometime St. Neot, Liskeard, Cornwall,
UK


Looking for:
WALLIS, VOSPER, COCK in Devon and Cornwall (and now Hampshire for the
VOSPERs)
COLES in Somerset
HARRIS, BRYANT, JONES in Glamorgan
JONES, VAUGHAN in Brecon and Monmouth
PETTIT(T) in Norfolk and Monmouth
WALLIS, BUSH, RUSSELL, CAVES in London (Middlesex) and Surrey

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