What is Jah the abbreviated name for??

O

Oz Faremeister

Well-Known Member
Hi there,

I've come across this unusual record:

Baptism: 29 Sep 1665 All Hallows, Bispham, Lancashire, England
Jah. ffare - son of Jah. ffare
Abode: Normoss within the Parish of Poolton
Register: Baptisms 1599 - 1666, Page 31, Entry 13
Source: Old handwritten copy of Parish Register in Blackpool Central Library

Normoss is a spot in the Fylde region of Lancashire where my ancestors farmed.

Now the surname is the easy bit. ffare is an old handwritten spelling for Fare as the ff means a capital F

But does anyone have any ideas as to what Jah. means for the given name? I don't want to hazard a guess, other than to note that it is classed as a male given name,given Jah. was also the father's name. Sadly the record is only in findmypast and the LOC as a transcription.
 
I very much doubt it would be Jehovah, but I do wonder about Jeremiah. Unless I've missed them, though, I can't see any other abbreviated names on the page - or maybe this was the only one that the minister/clerk didn't know how to spell?
 
Just a guess but Jah is used in the Bible sometimes as Jehovah. I think Jah in this case is his proper name. Not short for anything. They just liked it as a name.
 
I've also been wondering whether it could be a misspelt entry as well. I've sent an email to the Blackpool Central Library to see if they still have the register and can send me a scan or digital picture of the original handwritten entry.
 
1665..Jah fare...son of Jah fare All Hallows’
1818 Jah Mort Daughter of James Mort and Alice, Peel Chapel Little Hutton
1827 Jah Harris son of Caleb Harris and Elizabeth, St Mary Oldham
1846 the marriage of Jah Harris and Betty Dronsfield, St. Mary the Virgin Prestwich.
Family Search:
Jah Harris 1827
Jah Mort 1818
Jah. Fare 1665...admittedly with a stop after his first name
Jah Jones 1702
Jah Narraway 1795
Jah Smethers 1808
Jah Hartley 1812
And lots more.
 
Archie's Mum said:
1665..Jah fare...son of Jah fare All Hallows’
1818 Jah Mort Daughter of James Mort and Alice, Peel Chapel Little Hutton
1827 Jah Harris son of Caleb Harris and Elizabeth, St Mary Oldham
1846 the marriage of Jah Harris and Betty Dronsfield, St. Mary the Virgin Prestwich.
Family Search:
Jah Harris 1827
Jah Mort 1818
Jah. Fare 1665...admittedly with a stop after his first name
Jah Jones 1702
Jah Narraway 1795
Jah Smethers 1808
Jah Hartley 1812
And lots more.
Click to expand...
Aaaah, see what you mean. I thought you meant more Jah Fare's. Does provide some support to the idea that Jah may not be an abbreviation
 
I'm not 100% convinced but I do lean a little to it being used as a first name. They couldn't use Jehovah so went for the alternative. I have read that it means 'everlasting'.
 
Been notified that I'll be waiting a while to get a copy due to a combination of COVID 19 and renovations making the collection at Blackpool inaccessible. Thanks everyone for your thoughts on the matter anyway.
 
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