Can anyone read the occupation of Elias Devenish in the baptism record of Isabella Barbara (it's the middle record of the image); at the baptism of the previous child he was a game keeper and now appears to be a 'huxster' (? = huckster) or a 'flexster' (? = fletcher). Not sure, would like your views please ...
It looks very much like Huxter to me, which could be an alternative spelling for Huckster. From the OED: Huckster - A retailer of small goods, in a petty shop or booth, or at a stall; a pedlar, a hawker. Does this fit with what you have found out from censuses?
this image has a couple of Hs in it, the original has an F or three as the curate's name is George Feaver
Thanks Jan [edit: and Flook], I'm sorry I hadn't looked at the census -- I was just trying to transcribe some baptisms and have no particular interest in Elias (except I do have an interest in Sydling St Nicholas). But you are right digging around might help, so I found a few things out ... There is an Elias Devenish in Sydling St Nicholas in the 1841 census born c 1791 who is a farmer -- if it is the same Elias, which seems likely, he possibly has a new wife and young family. But as you know interpreting relationships on the 1841 can be tricky, unfortunately he died in 1843. The next child I can find for Elias and Isabella was baptised in Chilfrome in 1820, and he is a shopkeeper -- so huxter/huxster/huckster it is
rather than start a new thread I just thought I'd add to this one, although now I want advice regarding a placename. I think this says "Vass in the Parish of Yeovil", the only problem is that I cannot find a place called Vass, either online or in Bartholomew's Gazetteer -- or even anything similar. Help!
Methinks that it reads Vagg. See: www. genuki.org.uk/cgi-bin/maplink?CCC=SOM,GR=ST520180,PLACE=VAGG Edited to say: Great minds, Grizel!
Oh blimey, see I knew you lot were good, either that or I am a complete fool . gg didn't occur to me, I kept thinking it looked like the ss in Russel but that was about 5 pages ago, even so something was niggling that it wasn't quite right. It's not in my Gazetteer , and I did look on Genuki but thought to find it within the description of Yeovil, which it wasn't Thank you Jan and Grizel!
I looked at the OS map for Yeovil on Bing maps - even though they are modern maps they show farm names and hamlets at the larger scale so often worth checking.
Yes, that is a good idea. When I remember to I use Streetmap for the same reason. I did try looking on some maps on A Vision of Britain but got frustrated.
How's this for extra detail found in actual parish registers? the Abode (in his son William Henry's baptism) for the shepherd William Smith is given as "Transported to Botany Bay -- His wife resident in Sydling"
