Discussion:
Dorset place name.
(too old to reply)
Phil C.
2006-09-12 11:28:51 UTC
Permalink
My ancestor James Wyatt is recorded by Ancestry in the 1851 census
(Wanstead) as having been born in "Bermesterd" Dorset. This seems to
me to be Berminster -
<http://images2.fotopic.net/?iid=yj81bb&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1>
I can find several Google hits for Berminster, Dorset but no modern
reference. Is it an old/local name for Beaminster?
--
Phil C.
Peter Crosland
2006-09-12 12:21:43 UTC
Permalink
Post by Phil C.
My ancestor James Wyatt is recorded by Ancestry in the 1851 census
(Wanstead) as having been born in "Bermesterd" Dorset. This seems to
me to be Berminster -
<http://images2.fotopic.net/?iid=yj81bb&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1>
I can find several Google hits for Berminster, Dorset but no modern
reference. Is it an old/local name for Beaminster?
Probably just a spelling mistake for Beaminster by the enumerator is my
guess.

Peter Crosland
Phil C.
2006-09-13 09:53:51 UTC
Permalink
On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:21:43 +0100, "Peter Crosland"
Post by Peter Crosland
Post by Phil C.
My ancestor James Wyatt is recorded by Ancestry in the 1851 census
(Wanstead) as having been born in "Bermesterd" Dorset. This seems to
me to be Berminster -
<http://images2.fotopic.net/?iid=yj81bb&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1>
I can find several Google hits for Berminster, Dorset but no modern
reference. Is it an old/local name for Beaminster?
Probably just a spelling mistake for Beaminster by the enumerator is my
guess.
That's surely right if no Berminster existed - especially as most of
the Google hits for Berminster disappear when I restrict the search to
pages from the UK. Beaminster is evidently pronounced "Bemminster"
(unless anyone knows better). Perhaps his Dorset accent confused the
Wanstead enumerator.

Or perhaps the enumerator asked "Is that spelt with an 'a'?" and he
replied "Ahr". According to
<http://www.psychol.ucl.ac.uk/nico/EuroPG/Digests/digest-2188-13-dec-2002>
that is genuine Dorset dialect for "yes".
--
Phil C.
boseley
2006-09-13 19:46:53 UTC
Permalink
Post by Phil C.
On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:21:43 +0100, "Peter Crosland"
Post by Peter Crosland
Post by Phil C.
My ancestor James Wyatt is recorded by Ancestry in the 1851 census
(Wanstead) as having been born in "Bermesterd" Dorset. This seems to
me to be Berminster -
<http://images2.fotopic.net/?iid=yj81bb&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1>
I can find several Google hits for Berminster, Dorset but no modern
reference. Is it an old/local name for Beaminster?
Probably just a spelling mistake for Beaminster by the enumerator is my
guess.
That's surely right if no Berminster existed - especially as most of
the Google hits for Berminster disappear when I restrict the search to
pages from the UK. Beaminster is evidently pronounced "Bemminster"
(unless anyone knows better). Perhaps his Dorset accent confused the
Wanstead enumerator.
Or perhaps the enumerator asked "Is that spelt with an 'a'?" and he
replied "Ahr". According to
<http://www.psychol.ucl.ac.uk/nico/EuroPG/Digests/digest-2188-13-dec-2002>
that is genuine Dorset dialect for "yes".
--
Phil C.
Beaminster is on my map, it is on the A3066 between Mosterton and Melplash,
north of Bridprt,
--
Bob

Halfway between Holmfirth and Wakefield,
England
Jayne
2006-09-15 07:15:27 UTC
Permalink
Having been born and bought up within 10 miles of the place, I can confirm
this is simply a spelling mistake by the enumerator and yes probably taken
from the accent in which he heard it pronounced, which at times can be so
thick an accent as to sound like a foreign language to some :o)

Bemminster is the correct pronounciation in the Queen's English, but who
ever spoke like that in Dorset? LOL ;o)


Jayne
Post by Phil C.
Post by Peter Crosland
Probably just a spelling mistake for Beaminster by the enumerator is my
guess.
. Beaminster is evidently pronounced "Bemminster"
(unless anyone knows better). Perhaps his Dorset accent confused the
Wanstead enumerator.
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