Hi Maggie IMHO it could be either - it depends on the priest - can you establish any pattern amongst other recordings. I hate these abbreviations. It gets annoying too when they resort to mock Latin so you don't know even if Johannes is Jonathan or John! Couldn't Josh also be Joseph? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news! At least if they are at different times in 1807 you may be able to establish that there are 2 families. HTH Andy. At 15:58 17/12/2007, you wrote: >Does anyone know about the recording of first names at the end of the >eighteenth century/early nineteenth? Mirfield parish registers show children born >in 1807 to both a Josa. Barker and a Josh. Barker. Josh. is clearly Joshua, >who is the chap I'm interested in, but is Josa. definitely Josiah? or could he >too be a Joshua? I do hope not!