What names do you think these are?

[annabel]

I think I've found a load with the witnesses on this 1839 marriage in Avebury
But what do you think their first names are?

 

[mugwortismy cat]

Jurd Davis
Lawrence Chivers

 

[GrannyBarb]

I agree, although, I've never heard the name "Jurd" before.

 

[annabel]

Thanks, neither have I. I can't make it into anything else though

 

[Daft Bat]

As 'Jurd' could not read or write, it may well be that the person completing the document misheard the name 'Jared'.

Just a thought...

 

[Archie's Mum]

My Aunt married a lovely man from the Dutch Air Force stationed in Java. His name was Tjerdt pronounced Jurd.
Just looked up Jerd and it appears to be a Nordic name.

 

[mugwortismy cat]

Jurd is a surname, so could have been reused as a first name, I guess. It is not common but has been used in North America .. Though @Daft Bat has certainly made a good point x

http://www.namespedia.com/details/Jurd

 

[annabel]

Thanks, lots of good points. So far I'm unable to find any Jared or Jurd, or Lawrence for that matter, of the right sort of age and place

 

[Daft Bat]

I am now wondering if the name ends in a 'd'. Looking at the 'd' at the end of 'established' the end curls over, but not at the end of the name.....

Could you provide a snip of more words so that we can compare, please?

 

[MollyMay]

Here is the complete marriage entry and I am not sure the first letter is a J,
looking at the J in Joseph

 

[Jellylegs]

Here is the complete marriage entry and I am not sure the first letter is a J,
looking at the J in Joseph
View attachment 9647

But if you look at the certificate above, the J of James Bradfield (as the name of the groom) and the J of the name James (written where it says The mark of James Bradfield) are completely different.

 

[Sis]

I agree with Jurd Davis and Lawrence Chivers. Is it possible that the bottom half was filled out by a different person to the top half, therefore the slight difference in some letters?

 

[Bay Horse]

At first glance yesterday it looked like an 'I' to me rather than a 'J' but the two letters can be interchangeable.

Lawrence Chivers is/was the parish clerk at Avebury. Bit of a shaky old hand?

 

[burt]

At Avebury there is a Baptism of a Stephen Davis 1816 Feb 11, the son
of William & Rebecca of Beckhampton, lab.
William and Rebecca also have a son James 1814, Jacob 1820, Sarah
1823 and a George in 1818.
Could the latter's name have been mistaken as Jurd due to his
Moonraker accent?

 

[annabel]

Lawrence Chivers is/was the parish clerk at Avebury.

Drat!

George in 1818.
Could the latter's name have been mistaken as Jurd due to his
Moonraker accent?

Possible!