Genealogy Chat

Can anyone shed light on why someone would have called their son Bovril in 1890? Seems a touch odd............mind you it is on my husbands side of the tree lol. regards Yvette

i have a few strange christian names Dickinson (imagine his nicknames) Wilkinson Aptavious

Bovril. The association with Roislin Midlothian was through the man who first produced Bovril - John L Johnston, born in Roslin in 1839. But it was after he emigrated to Canada in 1870's he first produced and developed into Bovril. Johnston, John Lawson, an Edinburgh butcher who invented Bovril. In about 1863 John concocted a drink he called 'fluid beef, which was a great success. He later went to Canada where he developed a concentrated version which he had patented as 'Bovril'. For your edification! Loved the comment about the 'beef'. Maybe he was a cubist ... Ann xx

Lesley and Ann Loved the comments! I'm not sure yet why my husband has a relative called after a hot drink, as they lived in a little village in deepest darkest Norfolk, but as they were mostly Stone and Marble Carvers in the family i haven't been able to tease him about being cattle farmers!!! Any more puns on the name greatfully recieved-he hasnt suffered enough yet! ;-) Yvette

George I have come across Wilkinson and Dickinson a few times, but Aptavious is a new one! I'm guessing its Roman based...for some strange reason! lol! Yvette

Perhaps he was one of the original BOV - ver boys? xx A xx

Hello Yvette Have a look website for Christian and Latin names. It might be there http://www(.)stbrigids(.)kilbirnie(.)com/Pages/names(.)html Shirley

Shirley Thanks for that, however i tried the site and it isnt working. Any ideas? Yvette

Maybe his mother was a right old cow! or his father was a bully!

Keith I couldnt possibly comment on that one........but rumour has it his father was full of bull, lol Yvette

George. Wilkinson and Dickinson probably from mother's maiden name as I'm sure you know. How about John Wayne whose real christian name was Marion

Hello Yvette Sorry my mistake http://www(.)stbrigids-kilbirnie(.)com/Pages/names(.)html This should do it. Shirley

Hello Debbi If you go to http:www(.)arm(.)mod(.)uk/royalsignals/engrs(.)html you can read all about the Zulu War and how the Tugela River was in the Zulus hands in 1879. I would think there is a big clue there why the child was called Tugela. Regards Shirley

I have a few "Ketura"s in my tree. It seems a fairly common name in the early 1800s.

Hi, while doing some transcribing for FreeBMD, came across the christian name Urban! Wonder if he became a district councillor!!! lol Pauline

Ive got 3 Wilkinsons,a Walker,and a Captain! Anna

Any others with Damascene ?

Karen I did wonder if it was a nickname, but on going through the parish records it is his 'real' name, i have a few odd names from other branches of my tree, but as this one is so well known as a food item, and that it was a made up name for that particular product i was wondering why they used it for their son. He can't have been to happy about it, lol, and to think i have moaned to my parents about my name!!! Oh well, maybe his mum had a craving for Bovril when she was pregnant! Yvette

We have a few Keziah's, which is biblical I think and seemed reasonably popular in the early-mid 1800s. We also have a few mothers names passed down to son's middle names (like a Thomas Hannah SMITH).

One of my relatives was called Ladysmith Irene in 1900 (after the Siege of Ladysmith ) i don't know which of her relations fought there. Perhaps your Bovril was a warm person, it says that on the Bovril label... Sue