Harry

[Alan Welsford]

Dumb question probably.

My grandfather was a Harry - registered as such, married as such, died as such, etc. There's no question he was ever anything else, or that Harry was just a familiar form of his "real" name.

Now of course I know that Henrys were also often known as Harry.

But what about Harolds?

Am I right that when Harry appears, it might just as equally be a Henry, a Harold, or, like my grandad, genuinely a Harry ?

Can it ever be anything else ?

Alan

(Busy trying to unravel his Harry and Harold PENNs - not helped by an enumerator that appears to have transcribed a Harold as an Arnold )

[Jan1954]

Dumb question probably.

No question is a dumb question if you don't know the answer

Am I right that when Harry appears, it might just as equally be a Henry, a Harold, or, like my grandad, genuinely a Harry ?

Yes. I have a great uncle who was registered (and baptised) as Harry William. I also have Harrys whose "Sunday names" were Henry, Harold and even a Harriet.

Can it ever be anything else ?

See previous answer...

[harfin]

Hi Alan

I could never work out as a child, why my Mum called my dad as "Hal", when I knew his first name was James.

It was later when I realised that my (by then deceased) grandfather (Dad's dad) was also a James, and so to avoid confusion as to who was being addressed, my Dad was always referred to at home by his second given name, Henry.

My mother didn't like the name Henry very much (and that's another story!) so she always used the familiar of Hal.

My Dad was invariably called Harry by everyone else.

Regards
Alan

[birdlip]

...and these days of course, Harry is quite likely to be short for Harrison!

[Alan Welsford]

...and these days of course, Harry is quite likely to be short for Harrison!

Maybe not just today. My great great grandmother Martha Elizabeth POOLEY had an older brother Harrison POOLEY (born about 1836).

Not to be outdone he called his oldest daughter Easter POOLEY.

(I hope she didn't marry a Mr Bonnett).

Alan

[*bunty*]

So we have Harry who could be

1. Harry
2. Henry
3. Harold
4. Harrison
5. Hal
6. Harriet

PHEW!

Or you could have an ancestor referred to as Harry although it may be his second name (my grandmother's marriage certificate has her as Ellen, even though her birth certificate is Sarah Ellen).

[Jan1954]

Or you could have an ancestor referred to as Harry although it may be his second name (my grandmother's marriage certificate has her as Ellen, even though her birth certificate is Sarah Ellen).

Don't start me on that one! I have a Mary Helen Florence who was always known as Nell and enumerated as such. Took me ages to find her birth!

[Alan Welsford]

Don't start me on that one! I have a Mary Helen Florence who was always known as Nell and enumerated as such. Took me ages to find her birth!

Well I re-offer my mother's aunt who people on here were good enough to find in the 1901.

Ellen Mabel Pauline at birth.
Always known to her brother and sister as Mabel, I've now learnt, (and what she was using in 1901).
Sister Helen when she entered closed orders.
But always known in my family as nothing other than Dolly - How do you get Dolly from any of the 4 names she had or used ?

Her mum freely switched between Sarah Elizabeth and Elizabeth - fair enough.
But where did she acquire the Maria in the Elizabeth Maria she married with ? There's not a trace of it anywhere else.

Perhaps Harry's aren't so bad after all.

Polly seems to be another good one, but let's not go there!

Alan