Transcription question - surname

[benward]

Hi,

I have a marriage record where I'd appreciate a second opinion on a surname.



https://imgur.com/a/suo2Uhh

It's a marriage between Anthony Roper and Margaret X (dated 1731). X is the name I'm looking for a second-opinion on!

Thanks,

Ben

[suemalings]

Hi,

I have a marriage record where I'd appreciate a second opinion on a surname.



https://imgur.com/a/suo2Uhh

It's a marriage between Anthony Roper and Margaret X (dated 1731). X is the name I'm looking for a second-opinion on!

Thanks,

Ben

Family Search have a transcription of Anthony Roper -m- Margaret Roff Worcestershire, 20 June 1731

There is also a burial for an Anthony Roper in Bengeworth, Worcestershire 24 January 1744

[benward]

I have seen that transcription. I'm a bit unconvinced by it - the R in Roper is too distinct to the R in Roff (if we suppose it is Roff).

My initial read of it was "Pratt". Though the last two characters seem a bit long for a t, the first two seem much closer to "Pr" - e.g. compare the r at the end of roper, to the character after the P, they seem very similar.

There are Roff and Pratt families in the same place at the same time, so that doesn't help with eliminating one of the options.

Is there a potential third reading - something like Press? With long "s"?

[pwholt]

The first letter of the unknown name is P. The second is R - see the last letter of Roper for comparison. The third letter is O. The fourth might be a long S or possibly an F, and the last could be a T. This would make the name Proft or Prost. I'm afraid the sample was too small to be sure what the last letters really were. pwholt

[fullscott]

The first letter of the unknown name is P. The second is R - see the last letter of Roper for comparison. The third letter is O. The fourth might be a long S or possibly an F, and the last could be a T. This would make the name Proft or Prost. I'm afraid the sample was too small to be sure what the last letters really were. pwholt

Agreed. Proft? Prost? Pross? (ff=s)

[arthurk]

The last letter of the surname is nothing like the 't' at the end of Margaret, or in the middle of Anthony. If the 4th letter is a long 's', I don't think this would be a long 's' too - normally a double 's' would be a long one followed by a short/normal one.

The 4th letter does look most like 'f' to me, and I wouldn't want to rule out 'ff' - but is Proff a name? A bigger clip showing more of this person's handwriting, and preferably some examples of letters that these might be, would be useful.

[benward]

Thanks all for your suggestions here. Really helpful! I have uploaded 3 more examples of this person's handwriting including the letters s, f and t.

https://imgur.com/a/ykwy1PL
https://imgur.com/IqbDfnv
https://imgur.com/a/9tNBAvb

Unfortunately none of these look hugely similar!

Thanks,

Ben

Edit: Also, there are very few name appearing in Worcestershire for 1650-1750 with pattern pro?? - Proof, Prout, Proby and Proud - based on FamilySearch. Obviously that's not complete, but it does make me doubt the first three letters!

[helachau]

What's the source of these "snippets". Are they available on line - subscription site or not.
Really, there's nothing like the real thing!

[benward]

Afraid they are not available online, and I don't own the copyright, so am mindful of breaking any copyright rules...

Unless you have access to the following (which I do not): https://www.familysearch.org/search/...tory%20Library

[arthurk]

One of your clips has the surname Sheffield, and the 'ff' looks very like the end of our mystery surname. I'm struggling to see the start of the name as anything but 'Pro', so that gives 'Proff'. If you've found a Proof nearby, this could be a variant - either one actually in use by the family, or a clerk's interpretation of what he heard.