LONDON-L Archives

Archiver > LONDON > 2001-12 > 1008783099


From: "john.phillips4" <>
Subject: FW: [Lon] Morptowooi
Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 17:34:08 -0000




Hi All

Can I add a modest 2pworth to the debate. Friend Mawford was a farmer at
Spalding Lincs pre-emigration, so can I suggest that you hold your horses
for a few days more then dive into the 1901 census online on 2nd Jan and see
if you can find said gent as a farmer in Spalding. This should then give you
his birthplace and with a bit of luck explain what the writer of the form
thought he heard!

Just to whet the appetite, I found this in the 1881 census just to prove
that there were Mawfords in Spalding at some time (although no John,)

Dwelling:Queens Rd 2 Clifton Villas
Census Place:Edmonton, Middlesex, England
Source:FHL Film 1341338 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 1390 Folio 17 Page
27
MarrAgeSexBirthplace
William MAWFORDM32 MSpalding, Lincoln, England
Rel:Head
Occ:Carpenter
Mary A. MAWFORDM29 FWhetstone, Middlesex, England
Rel:Wife
Jonathan MAWFORD 6 MWhetstone, Middlesex, England
Rel:Son
Albert G. MAWFORD 4 MWhetstone, Middlesex, England
Rel:Son
Harriet MAWFORD 10 mFEdmonton, Middlesex, England
Rel:Daur

It might be worth getting this William's birth cert, and having a look at
the other births on the GRO index of Mawfords in Spalding in the 1840s. This
guy might be a brother. (Your man born 1844, this William 1849.)

Otherwise very few Mawfords on the 1881 (or Moorfords, Morefords, Moorforts
etc.) Again with a bit of imagination Morptwooi/Moorford? Maybe the man
couldn't read the writing, rather than couldn't hear the name. It would make
more sense of the nonsense that way.

The form also seems to say that he was in America in Chicago from 1866 for 4
years. Have you looked at Immigration Records in 1866?

Have you looked at the US census for 1910 at his final destination to see if
he turns up there and where his birth place is listed?

This certainly more fun than the Times crossword, (and that's because I
can't do the Times crossword either!)

Happy Christmas all.

John

-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Lankshear [mailto:]
Sent: 18 December 2001 23:26
To:
Subject: Re: [Lon] Morptowooi


Just to be clear on this - when Kathryn first asked - several of us have
looked at the actual record and I think all agreed on Kathryn's view of
spelling. the manifest is from 1907

I think this is the Christmas Cracker question and I would like to see it
solved for Kathryn....
So anyone can review I have put on a page....Ron

http://members.tripod.com/ronlankshear/morptowooi.htm

Refer to line 13 - John Mawford and Morp...... is right across on line 13
Some comments Ron made to Kathryn
I agree the writing is clear - the capital M is the same as Mawford
Now thats the writing of a ship's officer isn't it?
So as Verity says its that guys interpretation and if USA they can get
British accents badly wrong
I have had great troubles in USA - dipthongs are the problem so I am
playing with sounds
And I was thinking Wales but it doesn''t compute
The name Morphett - could it fit and I aslo liked a suggestion of Moortown
which is in Lincs.
Now Mawfords are from Lincs?


==== LONDON Mailing List ====
The Middlesex Home page at Genuki:
http://www.gold.ac.uk/genuki/MDX/

This thread: