Hi there, Some time ago I posted a request about my ancestor Clara Boxall whose birth/baptism remains elusive. Her father was Charles Boxall of Salehurst, and her mother Susanna (surname unknown) of Chelsea, Middlesex. I am wondering if Clara was actually short for something else - although her daughter was called Clara Kate. Could it be that Clara was actually Clarinda or Clarissa or Catharine? In the Novel Clarissa, the subject is routinely called Clary by her mother. Does anybody have a source which indicates "derived" names? Susanna's death certificate has her named as Susan, so that may be a case in point that lower classes (Susanna ended her days in the workhouse) found certain names too "difficult" to live with. So I am looking for a daughter of Charles Boxall and Susanna, called "Clara" born/baptised about 1848 - what about the one in Midhurst (Clarissa Boxall) about this date? Many thanks Jeff 3646

The result of Googling: > *Clara* \c-la-ra <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/ending/0/ra>\ as a > girl's name is of Latin <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/latin> > origin, and the meaning of Clara is "bright > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/bright>, famous > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/famous>". Post > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/post>-classical > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/classical> name from the > feminine form of the adjective "clarus > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/clarus>". In the modern > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/modern> English-speaking > world, it represents a re-Latinization of the normal English form > *Clare* <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clare>. Also a > nickanme for *Clarissa* > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarissa>. Made famous > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/famous> in the 1920s > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/1920> by the silent > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/silent> film > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/film> actress > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/actress> Clara Bow, known as > "the It girl", because whatever "it" was, she had it. > > Clara has 21 variant forms: *Chiara* > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Chiara>, *Claire* > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Claire>, Clarabelle > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarabelle>, Clarabeth > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarabeth>, *Clare* > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clare>, Claretha > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Claretha>, Claretta > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Claretta>, *Claribel* > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Claribel>, *Clarice* > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarice>, Clarie > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarie>, Clarina > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarina>, *Clarinda* > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarinda>, Clarine > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarine>, *Clarissa* > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarissa>, Clarita > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarita>, Claritza > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Claritza>, Clarizza > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarizza>, Clarrie > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarrie>, Clarry > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Clarry>, *Klara* > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Klara> and Klarra > <http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Klarra>. > Lionel Carter On 20/07/2012 00:24, [email protected] wrote: > I am wondering if Clara was actually short for something else - although > her daughter was called Clara Kate. Could it be that Clara was actually > Clarinda or Clarissa or Catharine? In the Novel Clarissa, the subject is > routinely called Clary by her mother. Does anybody have a source which indicates > "derived" names? >

Jeff, Not sure if it helps but there seems to be a choice of birthplaces, none Midhurst, with a 2-1 vote for Herts. Do you have later census versions? 1851 census at Haslemere, Surrey has on the High Street Charles Boxall Head 42 Sadler & Harness Maker(?) Hastings Susanah Wife 41 Middlesex Chelsea Clare(?) Daughter 3 Hastings - looks like Heastings 1861 has at Deptford St Paul, Pomeroy(?) Street Charles Boxsall (Bonsell says Ancestry) Head 54 Saddler & Harness Maker Sussex Salehurst Susanah 46 Wife Middlesex Chelsea Clara daur 13 scholar Herts Aldenham 1871 All Saints, Southampton Charles Boxall Head 65 Master saddler Robertsbridge Sussex Susan Mar Wife 60 Milliner Middlesex Chelsea Clara Daur 21 Photographer Herts Elstree I wondered whether the apparent parents were together when Clara was born. In passing, the Clara Susannah Hill baptised at Aldenham 3/10/1847, probably died in 1848. Alan 1350 [email protected] wrote on 20/07/2012 00:24: > > Hi there, > > Some time ago I posted a request about my ancestor Clara Boxall whose > birth/baptism remains elusive. Her father was Charles Boxall of Salehurst, and > her mother Susanna (surname unknown) of Chelsea, Middlesex. > > I am wondering if Clara was actually short for something else - although > her daughter was called Clara Kate. Could it be that Clara was actually > Clarinda or Clarissa or Catharine? In the Novel Clarissa, the subject is > routinely called Clary by her mother. Does anybody have a source which indicates > "derived" names? > > Susanna's death certificate has her named as Susan, so that may be a case > in point that lower classes (Susanna ended her days in the workhouse) found > certain names too "difficult" to live with. > > So I am looking for a daughter of Charles Boxall and Susanna, called > "Clara" born/baptised about 1848 - what about the one in Midhurst (Clarissa > Boxall) about this date? > > > Many thanks > > Jeff 3646

I had a great grandmother whose birth name was Susannah but was often referred to as Susan in other documents. But I'm not sure this was because she 'knew her place' and could not cope with fancy names - she named her first born Fleurette Jeanne Francoise Augustine Eleanore. :-) Just an aside - sorry, I can't help with Clarissa / Clara. Cordelia 14526 On 20 July 2012 09:24, <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi there, > > Some time ago I posted a request about my ancestor Clara Boxall whose > birth/baptism remains elusive. Her father was Charles Boxall of Salehurst, and > her mother Susanna (surname unknown) of Chelsea, Middlesex. > > I am wondering if Clara was actually short for something else - although > her daughter was called Clara Kate. Could it be that Clara was actually > Clarinda or Clarissa or Catharine? In the Novel Clarissa, the subject is > routinely called Clary by her mother. Does anybody have a source which indicates > "derived" names? > > Susanna's death certificate has her named as Susan, so that may be a case > in point that lower classes (Susanna ended her days in the workhouse) found > certain names too "difficult" to live with. > > So I am looking for a daughter of Charles Boxall and Susanna, called > "Clara" born/baptised about 1848 - what about the one in Midhurst (Clarissa > Boxall) about this date? > > > Many thanks > > Jeff 3646 > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I've re-posted because the formatting of the Google results unexpectedly went odd in the sending. Claire meaning and name origin Claire \c-lai-re\ as a girl's name (also used as boy's name Claire), is pronounced clare. It is of Latin origin, and the meaning of Claire is "bright, famous". French form of Clara. Introduced to Britain by the Normans, but then abandoned. This spelling was revived in the 19th century as a variant of Clare as in Saint Clare of Assisi (13th century), founder of a Franciscan order of nuns and one of the notable saints of the medieval period. Writer Clare Booth Luce; actresses Clara Bow, Claire Bloom, Claire Danes. Claire has 61 variant forms: Ceara, Cearra, Cheeara, Chiara, Ciara, Ciarra, Clair, Claireen, Clairene, Claireta, Clairette, Clairey, Clairice, Clairinda, Clairissa, Clairita, Clairy, Clara, Clarabel, Clarabelle, Clare, Clarene, Claresta, Clareta, Claretta, Clarey, Clari, Claribel, Claribella, Claribelle, Clarice, Clarie, Clarinda, Clarine, Clarisa, Clarissa, Clarisse, Clarita, Claritza, Clarrie, Clarry, Clary, Claryce, Clayre, Clayrette, Clayrice, Clayrinda, Clayrissa, Clerissa, Cliara, Clorinda, Klaire, Klara, Klaretta, Klarissa, Klaryce, Klayre, Kliara, Klyara, Seara and Searra. Baby names that sound like Claire are Klarra, Clora, Glaurea, Glaura and Klari. Lionel Carter