The Importance of Given Names.

 Apology to those who follow this blog.   I have been so remiss in posting on a regular basis. We are doing a full renovation on our townhouse and it is taking longer than we anticipated.   I want to give my full attention in preparing a post on the Hepworth line only to have my mind wonder to all that needs to be done.  

         Recently, I came across information concerning the English pattern in naming children which was very interestng.  I find the Hepworth line and the Kidgell line followed the pattern to some extent. 
The following article explains:   
THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVEN NAMES BY by Donna Przecha.
"Given names are [very] important because they represent a voluntary choice by the parents or, sometimes, by an individual.  A name is usually not given lightly. It represents thought and feelings and can be significant to the researcher.  
You will often see the same names used over and over again in families.  Donna continues.....While certain names are popular in different areas in different times in history, the repetition could represent a pattern.  Many cultures beleive in honoring their elders and do so by naming children after them. 
Naming Patterns of the English was popular in the 1700-1875.
     Example:

• The first son was named after the father's father
• The second son was named after the mother's father
• The third son was named after the father
• The fourth son was named after the Father's eldest brother
• The first daughter after the mother's mother
• The second daughter after the father's mother
• The third daughter after the mother
• The fourth daughter after the mother's eldest sister

     Second great-grand father Thomas Hepworth and Mary Fletcher's first son was named after Thomas's father Samuel as well as in the Kidgell line; the first son was named Charles.  Both the Hepworth's and Kidgell's named their first daughter after the mother's mother,  Sarah Julia Hepworth - Ellen Maria Kidgell.  Both families (Hepworth and Kidgell) had a pattern of family names that followed through for the next generation.   In my research of the Hepworth's and Kidgell's this name pattern was very handy at times in helping in identifying them however, there were times it could be confusing when a relative of the same surname in the same time frame used the same names.  

     If you are LDS and are familiar with the new.familysearch.org site;(you need an LDS membership number to be able to registrar on this site.) bringing up the Thomas Hepworth Family File is very frustrating  because their is so many erroneous dates; birth dates that are wrong and incorrect death dates, even names of parents that are not right and other spouses which I know beyond a doubt that Thomas was only married to Mary Fletcher.  This incorrect information is put there by other members who don't realize their Thomas Hepworth is not the same man as my guy.  This family file is really a mess.  For example someone has put in incorrect parents:

• Richard Hepworth/Hannah Wilkinson
• Richard Hepworth/Sarah Jackson

      

 Going back to the naming pattern; of all Thomas and Mary's thirteen children, not one is named Richard.   Nor is there a Richard in Thomas's brother John's family of eleven children.   

We are almost finished with the renovation.  Hopefully, I will be posting about the Hepworth's soon. 

Thanks for understanding.