My study of Lincolnshire Skipworths appears to have produced two unrelated ??? families, centred only 50 miles apart.  Only DNA will prove their degree of separation.   One group occasionally used names from the bible..  Yes, there is a Jabez, and an Ahijah, an Azubah, a Hephzibah, a Bathsheba and a Manasseh, as well as lots of Samuels and Sarahs, and a Naomi, a Patience, a Salome and a Prudence.  None of those names were used in the other group, which leads me to ask - was this a class distinction, or was it an indicator of non-conformist religious persuasion?.     Mary

Hi Mary Those given names, I would say would be a clue in finding their records. In my experience the use indicates a tie to a Christian Chapel rather than the Church of England...perhaps a Baptist congregation. I'm just in the midst of sorting a group of mine not in Lincolnshire but with these same given names and the connection is to a Baptist chapel. So, look for their records in the Nonconformist section. Linda B.C. Canada My study of Lincolnshire Skipworths appears to have produced two unrelated ??? families, centred only 50 miles apart.  Only DNA will prove their degree of separation.   One group occasionally used names from the bible..  Yes, there is a Jabez, and an Ahijah, an Azubah, a Hephzibah, a Bathsheba and a Manasseh, as well as lots of Samuels and Sarahs, and a Naomi, a Patience, a Salome and a Prudence.  None of those names were used in the other group, which leads me to ask - was this a class distinction, or was it an indicator of non-conformist religious persuasion?.     Mary

Yes Mary - almost certainly non-conformist families there. Judith Harper Nelson, NZ On 03/03/2012 14:18, Mary Skipworth wrote: > My study of Lincolnshire Skipworths appears to have produced two unrelated ??? families, centred only 50 miles apart. Only DNA will prove their degree of separation. > > One group occasionally used names from the bible.. Yes, there is a Jabez, and an Ahijah, an Azubah, a Hephzibah, a Bathsheba and a Manasseh, as well as lots of Samuels and Sarahs, and a Naomi, a Patience, a Salome and a Prudence. None of those names were used in the other group, which leads me to ask - was this a class distinction, or was it an indicator of non-conformist religious persuasion?. > > Mary > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-LINCSGEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >