Genealogy Chat

I bow to your expertise, Heather! My parents lived thar for about eight years or so, when my father was Rector of Fincham. Indeed, my father married me there!! ;-) I got to know that accent quite well but, not having lived there for a long time now, I can resurrect it reliably only by recalling a pet Norfolk joke. I can, however, hear it in my head when I have the right triggers. Christine

Yes, Im sure it would be a case of "as heard". Come to Norfolk pronunciation Chris, what about Wymondham (Windum), Happisburgh (Hazebra) or Cley (Kly)?? I live here also!! My GGFx2 was entered in the 1851 Stepney census as born "Norfolk" then a dash then hastily written"Norwich". He actually came from Hethersett (Victorian Norfolk - what dyer reckon "Erersart"??

Jane, How well do you know the West Norfolk accent? I lived there for a while - not all that far from Snettisham - and I can well imagine that, said with the local accent, it might have been interpreted by a non-local enumerator as Snethersham - although I'm faintly surprised that it retained all its syllables. Hunstanton often gets pronounced as Hunston. It would have been heard as Snet-'ersham - i.e., the t & h don't get put together as a th, as in "the". Christine

When I see the place Snetterton, I think Motor Cycle Racing. Spent many a weekend there with parents as a child. More strangled cats, I hear you say.

Jane I have sent you a separate message with some details from the 1881 Census. It does say on that he was born in SNETHERSHAM. Google does find some entries forSNETTERSHAM Best wishes Jack

Hi, I live quite close to Snetterton, if you give me some details I will have a quick trawl of the local transcriptions produced by Geoff Lowe. I dont think the IGI are at fault as much of their stuff is provided by family researchers. Plus, on the old census forms the details were usually written by the enumerator. A Norfolk accent at that time may have been a real problem for him! You are lucky he tried a rough idea, a lot of mine just records a city near their village, I assume because they couldnt spell the village name and the enumerator couldnt understand the accent! Actually, for anyone looking for Norfolk ancestors, this is a brilliant site: http://www.genealogy.doun.org/transcriptions/links.php

Snetterton 4m/7k SW of Attleborough: or East & slightly North of Thetford - just off the A11 towards Norwich - there's a motor racing circuit there. Central East Anglia. Snettisham is 4m/7k South of Hunstanton on the A149, North-ish of Kings Lynn. On the Norfolk coast of the Wash. I'd suggest you look to see whereabouts the close family are as there's quite a distance between the two and one should be much more likely than the other. Phonetically, Snettisham seems more likely, but that's hardly a guarantee! Christine

i've just looked it up it is spelt SNETTERTON

I looked for a Robert Harvey born about 1834 in Snethersham, Norfolk. I was told that there is no such place as Snethersham, but that there is a Snettisham and a Snetterton. It shows that the IGI can make errors in transcribing and that all the information must be checked. I am still struggling with Robert Harvey and would be grateful for any help. Thank you......Jane