Hi. My ancestor is Elizabeth Roast(b 1827, m James Denton 1850), clearly described on two census entries as born in Dudness, Essex, and in another as from South Weald.

I can't find any such place. Others have suggested Dungeness to me, in Kent but that doesn't really fit - and there are no other Roasts in Kent.

Anyone know where it could be?

Well looking through GenUKI http://www.nivek-systems.co.uk/genuki/ESS/Towns/index.html the only ...ness places I can see in Essex are Wrabness and Foulness and there are no Dud... place names.

The only other thought is that she came from Doddinghurst and had such a strange accent, or speech impediment, that it came out as Dudness. And I have heard some strange place names from my mother in law who was old Essex country.

Perhaps joining the GenUKI Essex mailing list and posting there might get a better response?

Best of luck
Steve

Hi,

I had a look at the map index and couldn't find a Dudness, there is a Dunton quite close to South Weald but Doddinghurst seems a better possibility. The map I checked is of a scale of 1 inch = 2 miles, although the attached index gives the location as B4 Dunton is not there. To find Dunton I had to use Mapquest, Dunton appears as just a spot on that map.

On Google Maps I found a Dunton Wayletts on Dunton Road just north of the A127 (Southend Arterial Road.
Dunton Road branches south off Billericay Road then after passing Dunton Wayletts and going under? the A127 it eventually becomes Lower Dunton Road. Just off to the right of Lower Dunton Road is a spot called Dunton Plotlands, doesn't appear to be anything there though.

By the way there is also a Shoeburyness in Essex. a tad east of Southend.

Regards

You see from my A to Z list there's no Dudness, but there is South Weald. It's now part of the town of Brentwood.
http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/directory.html

You've already been given some good suggestions as to what Dudness could be. Obviously there's a problem with accents or handwriting between her and the enumerator.

Have you the census reference? I intrigued by this...

Keldon
http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/

Here are Elizabeth's census references (sorry if this is too much information!):

1851 South Weald (Class: HO107; Piece: 1513; Folio: 440; Page: 21; GSU roll: 87847.)

1871: Dudness (incorrectly transcribed as Sandness) Class: RG10; Piece: 186; Folio: 46; Page: 2; GSU roll: 823309.

1881: Dudness (Class: RG11; Piece: 169; Folio: 54; Page: 10;GSU roll: 1341037.)

1901: Dodenhurst (Class: RG13; Piece: 4; Folio: 46; Page: 83.)

And here is another independent reference to Dudness in the 1851 census:
Source: FHL Film 1341407 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 1704 Folio 112
Page 16
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Henry POOLE M 54 M Dudness, Essex, England
Rel: Head Occ: Sawyer Timber


Thanks for your interest and help, everyone!

I'm tending to think it is a real name (or nickname) for a place that we now know as something else. Like So'ton for Southampton. I wondered about Doddinghurst myself, as it is quite close to South Weald, and also the best match for Dodenhurst. But I hadn't come across Dunton, so that is another possibility.

I tried to get a parish look up for Doddinghurst but the OPC doesn't have records back that far, so I'll have to wait for SEAX to get a bit further on with their scanning, or wait til I get a chance to visit (could be a while, I'm in NZ!).

Would love to know your opinions once you've seen the census records.

I would guess that it was Doddinghurst. South Weald parish is next to Doddinghurst. In 1901 I have no doubt Dodenhurst is meant to be Doddinghurst. Where Dodness comes from I'm not sure. There's no mention of it on the British Library's 19th century newspapers, and nothing on Seax at the ERO.

There's an Elizabeth Roast aged 14 in Barking as a servant.
Class: HO107; Piece 323; Book: 5;
Perhaps she left home early?

Good luck in your endeavors.

Thanks for that. I've been reciting Duddinghurst in my head - I think if you imagine a strong accent and a lazy tongue you get to something approaching Dudness quite easily! (Thanks for the idea, Steve).

Hmm, that servant may well be my girl. However as there are quite a few Roasts, Roosts, Rusts and variants around, and not enough info on birthplace in the 41 census to be useful in telling them apart, it doesn't advance me any.

It has just given me an idea though - I have her father's name from her marriage certificate, but haven't found him either. Maybe she left home early because he died (as I have found happened in other branches of the family tree). I'll see what death and burial records are around for Doddinghurst. Thanks for leading me to that thought!