Genealogy Chat

I have a Shropshire family who, from 1600 to 1700 called their children Arthur,George, William, Thomas etc. Suddenly, about 1700 one branch seems to have gone for more esoteric names such as Samuel, Job, Obadiah, Abraham and Hezekiah. The problem is, although I can find deaths in the parish records (and marriages) I can't find baptisms....is there any religious sect that came into vogue about 1700 that would explain this...the parish is Prees, Shropshire. Also, where could i find records of nonconformist churches at this time? Without this, I cannot determine Obadiah's father - and I really need it!! Regards Peter

I have two branches of my family one lot chose similar names you mention Bibical names I would call them such Samuel, Job etc., But my other side kept to William, Harry etc., I reckon there was a fashion in names like we have today. Funny I was only saying earlier tonight I wish there was a website that would go through fashions in the 1800s and we would know more about the way things worked back then. PAT X

Just a thought - perhaps your relatives changed their names when being baptised into a 'new' church and their baptisms were not as babies. The Shropshire Records office in Shrewsbury has non conformist registers according to Google. Magsx p.s. I have ancestors born in Prees too - not got any Higginsons on your tree have you?

Hi, Non-conformists (called the Independents when they first "arrived" in the early 1600s) often showed their alienation from the "established church" by their choice of names for their children, chosen from the old testament. The most common christian names were, generally, those of saints and non-conformists didn't like the concept of saints. They were also known as Dissenters. Copies of surviving non-con registers will be in the county record office but many have been lost. Gwynne

The Methodists came into being in the 1700's, that is one explanation for the rise in biblical names around that time. I haven't yet found a site which lists the most popular names during this era but there are any number of books which cover naming patterns over this period. If the family became Wesleyan Methodists I believe no records were kept until around 1780. Again a search will show several sites which might be useful. Kathleen

Unless they were Quakers, who kept very good records, everybody is right: the chances of finding nonconformist registers is unlikely for this period. Part of the problem is that the registers seem often to have gone with the minister, rather than staying with the chapel. Not everything is lost, though. Quarter sessions might contain meeting house certificates (a way of keeping tabs on these dangerous nonconformists). They may have married by licence and the allegations, if they survive, may provide information. They may have left wills, been apprenticed, had settlement examinations taken. In the later period, they may appear in land tax assessments. They may appear in manorial records and the way land is passed down might provide a clue, or a will that does not survive could be quoted. These sorts of records are likely to be in the record office, rather than on the internet (though you could try A2A). Brenda

I believe that the non-conformists would not call their children after new-testament names, only old-testament. I also have a batch of Samuels, Isaacs, Zachariahs, etc. and I think that the family were Methodists. The FRC has some non-conformist registers (but of course not for the area that I wanted!) so I think it is a case of visiting the appropriate County Records Office to look at them there. By the way I have also come across an Elvis and a Nimrod!!

Its funny but my Samuel, Job, Ebenezer, are all Church of England and from the mid 1800s Pat x

Isn't 1700 a bit early for Methodists?

Hi Peter, One of my families were "Independents". They were baptised in the Independent church in Gt Yarmouth 1650 - 1660. They were Caleb, Elizabeth (after her Mum), Jabez and Daniel. In the next generations there were Official, Obed, Joshua, Tryphoena, Ruth and Samuel. By the end of the 19thC they were using more conventional names and were back baptising in the parish church but there was still the odd Caleb and Jabez around. Gwynne