Good old Notts names

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Just found this site that uses data from the 1881 and comes up with the most popular surnames at that time .

The second list is interesting as it gives a list of names that are found more exclusively in Notts than elsewhere . i.e. there were 85 Langsdales in Notts in 1881 .

Taking the country as a whole ,if you were to hear that name , there is a 55% chance that a Langsdale would be from Notts .

I have a connection to the second name on the that list , Ragsdale

The 3rd list breaks the County down into towns and villages and gives the top names per place .

Click on a name and you can select a few different options .

The 1881 button tells you how the name is broken down per county .

http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/1881census/Nottinghamshire

[Cliff Ton 10,453]

Until i started doing family history research, I'd never realised how much surnames were regional.

In my particular case, I have connections with the Widdowson surname; it's very common around Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, but almost non-existent anywhere else in the country. And my links with the name Corpe; it is very unusual around the Nottingham area, but there are loads of them in Surrey/Middlesex/Herts.

Surname can be a big help in tracing the movements of families around the country over the years………unless you're a Smith.

[Commo 1,292]

DavidW, re #1 and the name Ragsdale; Mrs Commo's family had a connection with her Aunt being a Ragsdale prior to her marrying into the Sheldon family. Her Aunt's brother was Henry Ragsdale and he was a baker in Mansfield Woodhouse. Any connection with you?

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Commo , can't see any connection to that area , my Ragsdales were in the Southwell / Morton/East Bridgeford area .

[Commo 1,292]

David, that's a shame, I was looking to some sort of Family connection in order to cadge a cheap holiday in Cornwall !!

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Ha Ha that would get the Mrs starting divorce proceedings ! We have a hard enough job looking after ourselves !

[carni 10,094]

#2Cliff Ton

Hi

Reading your post made me realise we too have Widdowson in our family tree, going right back to 1826 with William Comery and Hannah Ellen Widdowson, if i have got it right, they could be my gt gt gt Grandparents. if i am wrong the connection is still there but in the 1800s there were so many Comery's all with similar christian names, it got to much for me so i have had to leave it for a while.Small World.

[piggy and babs 544]

carnie the late kat was also a widdowson think it was her mums side her grn lived kirks buildings off carlton hill so she may have had some conection to your widdisons

[Beefsteak 305]

Thanks for this................NOT!!!!!!!!!

(Another 5 hours of my life that I'll never get back, used up getting lost up various little offshoots!)

Brilliant !

[Cliff Ton 10,453]

#2Cliff Ton

Reading your post made me realise we too have Widdowson in our family tree, going right back to 1826 with William Comery and Hannah Ellen Widdowson,.

That's about the limit of how far my knowledge goes back, so Hannah may be a bit earlier than I currently know about.

What I am certain of is that all my Widdowsons were living in the Basford area.

[carni 10,094]

That will be the same family link between the Widdowsons and the Comery's who were all mainly Carlton, Sneinton side of the City. There were so many in the 1800s that all branched off, i believe from George and Hanah .The Comery's lived Savages Yard ,Windmill Lane ,Main Road ,Arthur st Netherfield, Every where,Far to tangled for me to sort out, but i knew i had seen the name Widdowson in my tree some where. Happy Hunting.

[janetw 3]

There's a Comery Avenue off Carlton Road just up the hill from the Porchester Road/Cardale Road junction.

And I went to school (Jesse Boot) with a Susan Widdowson in the 1960s. She lived on Greenwood Road opposite Colwick Woods playground.

[tomlinson 879]

I'm probably wrong, as usual, but wasn't the gents' hairdresser near the old John Barleycorn pub, Nuthall Rd, a Widdowson?

[FLY2 10,108]

There was a small car sales / repair premises on Wollaton Rd that I had frequented many times run by a Mr O Widdowson until the 80's.

His late son Jeff was an old drinking buddy of mine. I'm sure they lived at Sneinton or Gordon Rd area.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

....and then there was the inventor of shin pads in 1874 ,Sam Weller Widdowson, who also played for Forest

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Weller_Widdowson

Also a number of Widdowson and Widderstone queries on Genforum, a lot with Notts connections.

http://genforum.genealogy.com/widdowson/

[carni 10,094]

I looked in Marriages on Ancestry.com for O/N/D, year 1851 and came up with a record, vol number 15, page 901, with Hannah Ellen Widdowson and William Comery on, I cannot find them in the 1861 census, so i am totally confused where they are, or i may be reading the record wrong as there are other names on the record.They could have emigrated?.Will keep researching and see if i can find them.

[Cliff Ton 10,453]

It all proves what I said about Widdowson being very common around Notts and Derbys....but you can count all the others on one hand.

I'm fairly certain none of those are connected to my Widdowsons, who started around Basford and ended up in Lenton/Radford. Although I had to double check on this one.......

....and then there was the inventor of shin pads in 1874 ,Sam Weller Widdowson, who also played for Forest

...because in my Widdowsons, there's always a Samuel in the family. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them.

[carni 10,094]

Yes its very complicated (for Me anyway) i just found a George Comery on the same marriage page O/N/D in 1845 as a Mary Widdowson reg at Basford, vol 15, page 921, but my mind is proper boggled with them all, you are right there are as many Widdowsons and Comery's about in the 1800s. Good Luck with your Family Tree.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Carni .....re the 1861 Census and not finding your Widdowson .

Were they in the lace trade ?

Just looking at this tree below , note one of the children i.e. another Henry , born 1868. Says he was born in France ......probably Calais where a lot of Nottingham lace workers went to work at that time .

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mithomas20&id=I09667

[Cliff Ton 10,453]

Looking at that link, I have a Widdowson living on Pepper Street, Basford, in 1841, although not Henry. I know it was quite common in those days to find several related families all living along the same road.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Cliff Ton , seems like too much of a coincidence for them not to be related re Pepper St.

Did you click on the hyperlink of the fathers name : "John Widdowson b1797" to see the other siblings ?

[carni 10,094]

#19 DavidW, Thank you for your help, and your link, i pay into Ancestry.com but only the essentials so my information is limited, I saw the name Widdowson in Cliff Tons post and knew i had seen it in my tree some where, making a link with the Comery surname.I saw your link Rootsweb looks to be part of Ancestry but i'm not sure if i can use that on my essentials membership. Most of my ancestors, particularly in the 1800s were Lace workers or Frame work knitters, those seem to be the main two occupations, but i have concentrated mainly on the male side and their families, so far i think the Widdowsons married into the Comery's, but i could be wrong?. Thanks for any interesting bits of info you have found.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

There was almost certainly at least one Comery / Widdowson marriage in 1851 (though you need the cert. to prove it)

There is this on Familysearch showing William Comery and Hannah Ellen Widdowson and their children George, Eliza ,William and Harry.

If you expand William seniors record it says he was born 1824 and baptised at a methodist church in Mansfield .

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/9VHT-KL5

[Cliff Ton 10,453]

Cliff Ton , seems like too much of a coincidence for them not to be related re Pepper St.

Did you click on the hyperlink of the fathers name : "John Widdowson b1797" to see the other siblings ?

Thanks for them. I've looked at all the links and there isn't really anything that coincides with my side of things. It looks like there was an entire parallel universe of Widdowsons in Basford who aren't the ones you've come up with!

[carni 10,094]

Cliffton

Could it be that the Widdowsons you are researching in Basford are related to the ones you are now finding out about, but even further back in time,because the name is so unusual it seems likely that there will be a branch perhaps earlier than the 1800s.

My Comery's, are mainly all over Carlton side of Nottingham and they have so many, Georges,Elizabeth's,Ellen's, Sarah's, Williams, this is just a few that go all through the different families, i'm pretty sure they all come from the same origins but as i say its to much for me to take in i have to leave it for a while and then have another dig.

PS, I think most people around that area have Basford as there registering office,even from Gedling and Carlton, even Netherfield (check that out though)

Good Luck.