Willenhall Shafp, Staffs

[albaqwerty]

Am getting lost in researching family tree and have found a relative who was born in the above place in 1890.

I know roughly where Willenhall is, near Walsall and not too far from Birmingham, but cannot find out what Shafp means/is.

It is the same spelling in various documents covering different times, I could understand one document mis-spelling for instance.

Does anyone have any idea please as to its meaning?

[tonyav]

Willenhall is between Walsall and Wolverhampton ( famous for locksmiths ), sorry no idea what Shafp means though.

[jackthehat]

Where did you see this, Albs?

The letter formation of 'Shafp' could well be a mistranscription of 'Staffs'.

[albaqwerty]

Thanks our kid, xx

It's blooming fascinating finding out where folks were born and wondering how they met and married someone from a few hundred miles away.

[tonyav]

Looks like it could be something to do with the parish.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shap

[tonyav]

I know ah wench, as much as I hate admit it I found out that an ancestor of mine married a Brummy wench in the 1850's.

[albaqwerty]

She's on the 1891 census (and on her birth cert.) Also in the 1901 census but the 1911 census has her in an area in London with other relatives.

[tonyav]

I think he had a fast horse though ;-)

[tonyav]

Do you know if her occupation was anything to do with the lock industry or nail making by any chance.

[albaqwerty]

lol, that makes me wonder about the Portland, Dorset man who married a lass from Renfrew :-)))

Wonder if there was a heap of stones in Willenhall in 1890? :-)

[albaqwerty]

no occupation listed for her :-(

Everything seems to stop, family-tree wise with the 1911 census, have read that the 1921 census will never be released due to the 1920 Census Reform Act.
1931 census destroyed by fire.
Conspiracy theorists could have a field day

[jackthehat]

Any help?
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/Willenhall/StStephen

I find that when something looks a bit odd, it is often down toa word or two being misidentified.

[tonyav]

Have you checked births, baptism's and marriages ?.

[albaqwerty]

coo, many thanks Jack x
Have bookmarked that for any further queries.

Some of the hand-writing is worse than a GP's so that presents it's own ''problem''

[albaqwerty]

I'll have a play around later with that, our kid.
This particular one is the eldest of 3 children. I remember her youngest sister from when I was a nipper!

I've got a different ancestor to dig up and play around with this evening especially as I know his profession :-)

[tonyav]

Yeah, that copper plate stuff is sometimes hard to decipher.

[tonyav]

Is he a Black Country mon as well, ah wench ?.

[albaqwerty]

Middlesex, our kid.

[tonyav]

Ah well, never mind someone has to ah wench.

[Togo]

//I've got a different ancestor to dig up and play around with this evening//

???? Do you think that you may be taking this a little too far Alba? (^_*)

[jno]

1921 census is due out in 2021 as usual. !931 was destroyed (though there was a prewar 1939 register, very similar and out now), 1941 didn't happen, so after 2021 you have to wait till 2051.