Genealogy Chat

I have been trying to locate details on a Thomas Bona and the marriage to his wife Eliza Devine. I have tried everywhere for the marriage details (signed up to everything and anything) eventually, like you do, decided to search a little deeper on Eliza! BINGO i find them on the BMD and Yorkshire BMD but with Thomas's name spelt BONNER reather than BONA. I know its possible that spelling mistakes were made so when i send for the certificate, will the spelling be BONNER or BONA as the father of the groom will be spelt BONA and would that have been questioned? is it a typing error from the BMD sites?

It is possible that when registered, that is how the registrar heard it, and wrote it down like that. If the person was illiterate, there would be no point asking how it is spelled.

Would that cause confusion when they registerd the births of their children? I'm pretty sure its the couple I'm looking for but that spelling is driving me mad, should I just send for the certificate and see? would the father of Thomas be written as Bonner as well, instead of Bona? Thanks Vicky

Thanks for the advice I'm off to order the certificate and see what it unflolds!! Vicky

Hard to say. As a bmd transcriber myself, we are told to type what we see, rather than what we think it should be. Way back in the 1800`s the registrar just wrote what he heard, whether it made sense or not. He didn`t consider it his job to question it.

Hi, Vicky, As Carol and Lorna say, mis-spellings are not uncommon, especially where people were illiterate. The family may have settled on the current spelling only in a later generation. There are also differences in the interpretation of handwritten details sent to London when they were incorporated in the indexes. For example, my great grandfather's first wife was Sarah Kipack on Yorkshire BMD and in the Church Register, but Kissack in '1837'. The only likely birth record is for Sarah Kassack (Yorkshire BMD), who apears as Keassack in '1837'. I looked at your previous posting which suggested that Thomas Bona was 8 in 1861. I thought you might like to know of the following entry, which appears in Yorkshire BMD for 1853 as Thomas W Binner. This name appears as an inserted line in the '1837' for the June Quarter of 1853, as Thomas William Binner, Leeds 9b, 312. If Leeds is the right location, I suggest this simply proves the spelling theory. I hope this may be of some help. Best wishes, Stan

I can only agree, you have to be able to think very laterally about names. I have just come from looking at the 1891 and my Gau family turn up as Gore, Gay,Gan, Gaw, Giant, San and Renshaw (RENSHAW?) - the last one being where the transcriber carried on with the names of the family in the previous house! Sometimes when searching for someone elusive it pays to copy out the surname in 'old fashioned writing' and see how else it could be transcribed. Also saying the name out loud and then writing down a number of variations (including local accents). Of course if the neighbours hear you doing this ....... A

Wrong information will probably continue, - how many of us checked the register before signing on our wedding day? I know I didn't check all spellings etc.

I have just checked my earlier posting. Thomas W Binner, who I identified as a possible match, was married in 1875 to Ann Bakewell, so he is not the person you are looking for. In the same year, by coincidence, Thomas Bonner was married to Eliza Devine at the Wharfe District Registered Building (which is one of the places where you would expect to find the marriage if they lived in Otley). Since Thomas and Eliza Bona are names in the 1881 census of Otley, I think we may be reasonably certain that they are the same people. The marriage certificate will give ages, and the occupations of the fathers. I have tried looking on '1837' again, but there are no obvious names, even using phonetic spelling, e.g. Bonner, Bonnor, etc. As I believe you already know (I have seen the posting but can't find it again quickly), The Bona family was living with the In-Laws in 1881: Gay Lane. Otley; Connor Devine, Head, 74, Farm labourer, b. Ireland; Hannah Devine, Wife, 67, b. Ireland; Thomas Fahy, Boarder, 82, Hawker, b. Ireland; Thomas Bona, Son-in-Law, 28, E & M Mechanic at printing machine works, b. South Malton, York(s); Eliz Bona, Daur, 26, b. Otley, York(s); Eliza Bona, Grand Daur, 2, b. Otley, York(s); James E Bona, Grandson, 1, b. Otley, York(s). However, there is some interesting further information on the 1881 census. Two Bona children wre recorded as visitors at another house in Otley. Charles Street, Otley: William McIntyre, Head, 34, Mason's labourer, b. Ireland; Mary McIntyre, Wife, 28, b. Burley, York(s); Thomas Bona, Visitor, 5, b. Otley, York(s); Mary A Bona, Visitor, 4, b. Otley, York(s). In 1891 the family were together. However, as Ancestry has failed to copy Piece RG12/3529, the following information from the Wharfedale Family History Group publication is all I have: Folio 75: Thomas Bona, 38, b. South Malton, YKS; Eliza Bona, 35, b. Otley; H Thomas Bona, 16, b. Otley; Mary Ann Bona, 14, b. Otley; Eliza Bona, 12, b. Otley; James Bona, 10, b. Otley; John Bona, 6, b. Otley; Frank Bona, 4, b. Otley; Dennis Bona, 2, b. Otley. The Devine family still lived in Otley in 1891. Connor must have been dead, but Hannah was still alive, albeit listed as only 68(!). Presumably she was living with her son Anthony and his family (RG12/3529, Piece 92). One of the problems I have with Thomas is that I do not know of any such place as South Malton. Clearly Malton is in Yorkshire. However, the nearest place name by sound in South Molton in Devon. The only other people in England with the name Bona in 1881 are found in Plymouth (Thomas R Bona, aged 63, with his wife, daughter, wife's sister and a servant). Is this a coincidence, or was Thomas born in Devon? Maybe the marriage certificate, if it is the correct one as I think it will be, will give a clue. One of my reasons for taking an interest is that my Grandfather, Arthur Benjamin Driver, was born in Otley. When he was married in 1906, his father, Arthur Driver, was a Printer's engineer. My grandfather's half brother, Frank Driver, was a Printer's engineer in 1917, and Foreman engineer in 1920. I suppose it is just about possible that they may have known Thomas Bona. Best wishes Stan

STAN thank you so much for all that information. I did find the marriage for Thomas and Eliza under 'Bonner' in 1875 amazing isint it? I had been searching for so long but stupidly not thinking to try and look for Eliza instead, sometimes you just get so wrapped up the easiest of solutions seem to evade you! I'm sure it would be possible that our great grandparents could have known one another, all my mothers family are from Otley, wharfedale, areas. I havnt even started on my gramdmas side yet (shepherd and saunders) It will be interesting to see the certificate (should arrive sat) If he's down as Bonner then will his father be bonner too? or will it say 'Bona' time will tell regards Vicky