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Might also be "Levisa:, a variation of "Louisa". There's a Levisa Fork (of the Big Sandy River) in Eastern Kentucky, named for a pioneer woman whose given name is still disputed.
I think I'd look for addition records of this lady, in your place.
I think Laura, because there is no dot above what would be the i in Louisa.
Details like that are often missing from documents - either because the enumerator was in a rush and didn't bother or forgot to dot the "i", or because it was faint and faded over time, or because the digital scan didn't pick up on it, etc. I wouldn't make a decision based on a missing dotted "i" alone.
Hi - Would appreciate some opinions regarding the image below: Louisa J or Laura J? I tried to compare with other names on the page, but the enumerator was not consistent. In the name directly above (Margt), the "r" is disconnected from the subsequent letter. In the name below (Cathcart), the "r" remains connected to the subsequent letter. In the second name below (Lawson), the "s" looks very much like the "r" in Margt.
Spoiler Alert: Both the Ancestry transcription and the FamilySearch transcription lists the name as Louisa J. I'm still not convinced, but I'm biased. I have a missing relative named Laura J Gardner and the location and birth year from this census is a good fit. I would like for this to be her, but I don't want to jump to a wrong conclusion.
Thanks for all thoughts and opinions.
I see it as Louisa. From this point I would go to findagrave and look her up. It turns out there is a Louisa J ( likely for Jareo, her mother's maiden name) Gardner 1923-1990 in Jefferson County. If this does not confirm it for you then search for her sister in the same cemetery. If there is a Margt buried there as well it is not just a chance discovery. Well Margaret is there as Margaret B (Bergh) Munk. Their mother was Rose Jareo. She was married twice so there were half siblings.
In my mind I reason that Louisa is Louisa not Laura.
The name is Louisa. The image clearly shows six (6) letters in the name Louisa.
The name is not Laura. (5 letters)
Have a good day.
I don't agree it's that clear. What you're seeing as the "oui" could easily be "au". Connect the first part of what you see as the "u" to the preceding letter and you have an "a". What you're seeing as an "i" then becomes part of the "u" - 5 letters, Laura. I'm not saying it is "Laura" though, I honestly can't say which it is, at least not without seeing the whole sheet or more examples of the enumerators handwriting.
Granted, it makes a sloppy "a" since it's not closed at the top but we all know how common sloppy handwriting is so we can't discount the possibility. Additionally, if the OP is correct that the name a couple lines below is "Lawson", we have another example of an "a" that is open at the top, supporting the idea of it being Laura.
Again, I'm not taking a firm stance either way, but what you're claiming is the "u" starts and connects to the preceding letter at the bottom, which it shouldn't if it's an "o" that comes before it. An "o" should connect to the next letter at the top, not the bottom.
Details like that are often missing from documents - either because the enumerator was in a rush and didn't bother or forgot to dot the "i", or because it was faint and faded over time, or because the digital scan didn't pick up on it, etc. I wouldn't make a decision based on a missing dotted "i" alone.
If you follow the link to the whole page you will see it was a very clear scan and the enumerator usually dotted the i's.
Last edited by MeltedChez; 07-08-2018 at 06:23 PM..
Reason: correcting myself
I see it as Louisa. From this point I would go to findagrave and look her up. It turns out there is a Louisa J ( likely for Jareo, her mother's maiden name) Gardner 1923-1990 in Jefferson County. If this does not confirm it for you then search for her sister in the same cemetery. If there is a Margt buried there as well it is not just a chance discovery. Well Margaret is there as Margaret B (Bergh) Munk. Their mother was Rose Jareo. She was married twice so there were half siblings.
In my mind I reason that Louisa is Louisa not Laura.
This is from the 1880 US Census. 43 years BEFORE your Louisa J Gardner was born.
I see it as Louisa. From this point I would go to findagrave and look her up. It turns out there is a Louisa J ( likely for Jareo, her mother's maiden name) Gardner 1923-1990 in Jefferson County. If this does not confirm it for you then search for her sister in the same cemetery. If there is a Margt buried there as well it is not just a chance discovery. Well Margaret is there as Margaret B (Bergh) Munk. Their mother was Rose Jareo. She was married twice so there were half siblings.
Thanks, but I don't think it's the same folks. The Louisa J/Laura J in the census clippet I attached was born about 1862. I don't have a birth year for my missing Laura J, but her spouse was born in 1860. Both had ties to SC/NC. Just out of curiosity, I tried the find the F.A.G. listing for your Louisa J Gardner (1923-1990) but it wouldn't pop up for me. I'm not sure which Jefferson County you are referring to.
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