Whilst I research my forebears, I realised I don’t always think deeply enough about the first thing we learn about them; their name. Why did our ancestors pick certain names for their offspring? It’s tempting to try and work out why it was chosen, especially for those less routine names.
Does the name contain a nod to the local Lord of the Manor, a heroic countryman or hard fought battle? Who else has a Nelson, a Kitchener or a Mons in their family tree?
Biblical names can give a clue to a families beliefs – Enoch, Amaliah, Keturah, Tabbitha, Zipporah being some examples from Bisley.
I recently noticed the name ‘Handy Wood’ which seemingly does not fall within these categories.
I set about trying to work out how unique the name was. My analysis was only on a county level; Gloucestershire to be precise, and it doesn’t account for mis-transcription of the name to Harry, I must confess I was guilty of this initially! From analysis of Gloucestershire Family History Society’s transcription of Baptisms 1813-1837 and Ancestry’s records, it was clear that use of the name was concentrated in Bisley Parish. Only four baptisms took place outside of the Stroud District, and that includes its use as a middle name. Before 1813, I’ve only found my ancestor ‘Handy’, born 1803 to Fanny (nee Smith) and Harry Wood, a millwright (1777-1820).
The 23 records from Stroud’s parishes showed some trends.
- The family were resident at Chalford in 11 of the 23 baptisms.
- The father worked as a weaver, clothier or clothworker in 16 of the 23 baptisms.
Is this surprising? Perhaps not, Chalford was a densely populated place and notable for broadcloth manufacture, indeed employment in the textile trade was the norm. There was a ‘Handy Davies’ who became a mill owner, albeit later bankrupt.
Taking the hypothesis that weaver’s in particular baptised their sons ‘Handy’, one might ask why? Was it in the hope they’d grow up to be successful and dexterous craftsmen? Was it a localised nickname that the vicar decided was acceptable? Were they currying favour with one of the higher ups?