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Somebody might like this challenge ...

My auntie had a Gt. Grandmother who originated from France (possibly the South), and who probably came to England to work as a domestic servant.

She married a man with surname Miles - possible birth year for this couple is around 1860. We think Mr. Miles came from the Stroud area. Their eldest daughter, born between 1883-1887 was called Agnes Mary Miles, I found two on FreeBMD but not sure which is the correct one (Derbyshire or Middx). The daughter married Percy Philip Pearce in 1907.

The challenge is that I'm trying to find the correct spelling of the French lady's name. It sounds like "Du Dyer", but could be "Du Dier" or even all one word, e.g. "Dudier".

This French lady (Mrs. Miles) died quite young, and is believed to be buried in Castle Coombe in Wiltshire.

If anyone has any suggestions as to how I might find out more about this lady, I would be most grateful.

I know it's a long shot!

Many thanks

Sue

This is Agnes and Percy in 1911


HOUSEHOLD PEARCE AGNES M F 1884 27 Derby Derbyshire
HOUSEHOLD PEARCE PERCY P M 1885 26 Derby Derbyshire

1901 for agnes
1901 census

Address Alfreton Road
Civil Parish Little Eaton
Rural District Shardlow
Town or Village or Hamlet Little Eaton
Ecclesiastical Parish Little Eaton St Paul
Parliamentary Borough or Division South Derbyshire
County Borough, Municipal Borough or Urban District
Administrative County Derbyshire
Householder 1
Name Augusta M A E F Currey
Relation to Head of Family Wife
Condition as to Marriage Married
Age Last Birthday 36
Sex Female
Profession or Occupation
Employment Status
Where Born Jersey C I
Language
Infirmity
Householder 2
Name Charlotte M Currey
Relation to Head of Family Daughter
Condition as to Marriage
Age Last Birthday 1
Sex Female
Profession or Occupation
Employment Status
Where Born Derbysh Little Eaton
Language
Infirmity
Householder 3
Name Percy H Currey
Relation to Head of Family Head
Condition as to Marriage Married
Age Last Birthday 36
Sex Male
Profession or Occupation Architect Surveyor
Employment Status
Where Born Derby
Language
Infirmity
Householder 4
Name Agnes M Miles
Relation to Head of Family Servant
Condition as to Marriage Single
Age Last Birthday 17
Sex Female
Profession or Occupation General Servant Domestic
Employment Status
Where Born Derbysh Derby
Language
Infirmity
Householder 5
Name Annie Parkin
Relation to Head of Family Servant
Condition as to Marriage Single
Age Last Birthday 25
Sex Female
Profession or Occupation Mothers Heck Domestic
Employment Status
Where Born Derbysh Osmaston By Ashbourne
Language
Infirmity

This is FMP with a different layout

1901 Address: Alfreton Road, Little Eaton
CURREY, Percy H Head Married M 36 1865 Architect & Surveyor
Derby VIEW
CURREY, Augusta M A E F Wife Married F 36 1865
C I
Jersey VIEW
CURREY, Charlotte M Daughter F 1 1900
Little Eaton
Derbyshire VIEW
PARKIN, Annie Servant Single F 25 1876 Mother's Help (Domestic)
Osmaston by Ashbourne
Derbyshire VIEW
MILES, Agnes M Servant Single F 17 1884 General Servant (Domestic)
Derby
Derbyshire

1891 Address: Butts Lane, Keevil
MILES, John Head Married M 31 1860 Butler Domestic Servant
Malmesbury
Wiltshire VIEW
MILES, Blanche Wife Married F 30 1861
France Paris VIEW
MILES, Archibald Son M 9 1882 Scholar
Malmesbury
Wiltshire VIEW
MILES, Agnes Daughter F 7 1884 Scholar
Malmesbury
Wiltshire VIEW
MILES, Blanche Daughter F 6 1885 Scholar
Derby
Derbyshire VIEW
MILES, Edith Daughter F 4 1887 Scholar
Derby
Derbyshire VIEW
MILES, Jack Son M 2 1889
Keevil
Wiltshire VIEW
MILES, Reginald Son M 0 (11M) 1891
Keevil
Wiltshire

A possible Marraige


Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marriages Mar 1881 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRE Blanche Derby 7b 609 ***********************
Miles John Derby 7b 609 *******************************
PEPPER Frank Derby 7b 609
POTTER Elizabeth Derby 7b 609

1881 Address: 19, Normanton Rd, Litchurch
KING, Augusta J Head Married M 33 1848 Green Grocer
Nailsworth
Gloucestershire
KING, Martha Wife Married F 34 1847 Green Grocers Wife
Malmsbury
Wiltshire
KING, William A Son Single M 11 1870 Scholar
Stroud
Gloucestershire
MILES, William Visitor Married M 22 1859 Toolman
Malmsbury
Wiltshire
MILES, Blanch Visitor Married F 21 1860 ? Maker
Paris
France

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deaths Mar 1892 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miles Blanche 31 Westbury 5a 124

searching in 1871 I found a possible

1871 Address: Prince's St, Stepney
DREYFUS, Mayer Head M 40 1831 France VIEW
DREYFUS, Pauline Wife F 38 1833 France VIEW
DREYFUS, Bertha Daughter F 12 1859 France VIEW
DREYFUS, Blanch Daughter F 10 1861 France


She may noy have been in the country of course

Hello everyone

Thank you so much for your help, you can't imagine the amount of squawking with delight that has been going on while we have been reading your replies!

We are over the moon.

Now we have the correct spelling of the surname, and the first names, we should be able to continue our research further.

Thank you everybody

Sue x

I have also found this one in a school

1881 Address: Gumley House, Isleworth
DAUDE, Blanche Scholar Single F 16 1865
Paris

Take care.

English enumerators were not famous for the accuracy of recording English names. They wrote them like they heard them. Spelling was not considered important. I have read a document with six diffrent spellings of the same name ranging from Bragginton to Brakynton and Brockington.
It must have been even more difficult for them to record a French name.

Births Sep 1857 (96%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miles John Malmesbury 5a 37

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Mar 1860 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MILES John Malmesbury 5a _3

Daude is a French name with lots of them on family search but no Blanche as yet

Christine

That's a very good point you have made about the spelling of surnames. The most confusing one I ever had was 'Weedon', which had been written as 'Thurdon' - no wonder I couldn't find it on the Census and it took a couple of you wonderful GR researchers to solve that one!

It's quite logical that the enumerators would have more difficulty with a French name.

I'm amazed by what you have found about the French surnames.

Thank you again

Sue

May I suggest you post your query on

http://www.moonrakers.org.uk/search.asp

Moonrakers is dedicated to Wiltshire genealogy.

I think the marriage certificate is going to be essential for this one

Christine,

I agree. Have sent you a PM.

Many thanks

Sue

This may be him but there were two John Miles born Malmesbury.

1901 Address: Harewood Park, Harewood
PARRY, Henry Harrison Head Married M 41 1860 Landowner Farmer Brewer
Allington
Wiltshire VIEW
PARRY, Evelyn May Wife Married F 31 1870
Plymouth
Devonshire VIEW
PARRY, Evelyn Blanche Parry Daughter Single F 4 1897
Harewood
Herefordshire VIEW
PARRY, Catharine Elisabeth Parry Daughter Single F 3 1898
Harewood
Herefordshire VIEW
PARRY, Joseph Henry Brother Single M 42 1859 Barrister
Allington
Wiltshire VIEW
MILES, John Servant Widower M 40 1861 Butler Domestic
Malmsbury
Wiltshire VIEW
BURGESS, Sarah Ann Servant Single F 44 1857 Housekeeper Domestic
Allington
Wiltshire VIEW
KING, Elizabeth Servant Single F 48 1853 Cook Domestic
Roundway Park
Wiltshire VIEW
HYETT, Emily Servant Single F 30 1871 House Maid Domestic
Llandinabo
Herefordshire VIEW
STEVENS, Sarah Servant Single F 24 1877 House Maid Domestic
Bishops Cannings
Wiltshire VIEW
SMITH, Emily Beatrice Servant Single F 17 1884 Kitchenmaid Domestic
Much Dewchurch
Herefordshire VIEW
WEBB, Alice Servant Single F 37 1864 Nurse Domestic
Wimering
Hampshire VIEW
CANDLE, Gertrude Kate Servant Single F 16 1885 Under Nurse Domestic
Much Dewchurch
Herefordshire

It would be best if you got the birth cert of Agnes Mary Miles now you know she was born in Derbyshire.

This is something you know is true. Hopefully her mothers surname is easy to read