Religious Names:

Religion played an important part in the lives of Dorchester and Fordington inhabitants in years gone by. Stimulated by the preaching's of the Rev John White many named their children after qualities they strove to attain in their community and this practice extended right through to and including the Victorian age. In many ways I suppose I regret the loss of such names in our society today and this nostalgia, for a reason I can't even properly explain to myself, made me list some of them as I faithfully transcribed over 70,000 records for this site. For those as sentimental as myself I have listed them in the first section below and given some actual examples for each name. Needless to say human frailty being what it is many did not live up to the names given to them.

Biblical Names:

Another, perhaps more deeply held religious conviction, made some use names directly used in the Bible and few today realise that the names themselves held meaning although interpretations differ in some cases. Link to Bible Dictionaries Once you have chosen a name you can switch between dictionaries. Some of these names found amongst Dorchester and Fordington records are listed in the second section below

04 Dec 1618 - Angel Baines buried at Holy Trinity
15 Aug 1634 - Angel Goor buried Holy Trinity
15 Jun 1663 - Angell London married William Gaulton at All Saints and was later buried there on 19th Dec 1678
31 Jan 1719 - Angel Short a stranger buried at Holy Trinity
20 Mar 1725 - Elizabeth Angel married Simon Symonds at St Peters
02 July 1743 - Angell Chamberlaine of Dorchester was apprenticed to Samuel Goodale of Dorchester a cordwainer

23 Oct 1634 - Charity Cousins married Oliver Standish at Holy Trinity
30 May 1663 - Charity James buried St Peters
01 Oct 1665 - Charity Geame was baptised at St Peters
09 Feb 1673 - Charity Roberts buried St peters
04 Mar 1674 - Charity Gollop was baptised at Holy Trinity
26 Jan 1689 - Charity & her husband Robert Tucker had a son Robert baptised at All Saints & many others
14 Dec 1697 - Charity Tucker & her husband William had a daughter Jane baptised at All Saints & many others
23 Jan 1704 - Charity daughter of Maximillian Gollop buried St Peters
21 Ju;y 1723 - Charity Churchill a widow gave birth to a bastard son Joseph at Fordington
12 Oct 1735 - Charity Diamond married John Pollard at Fordington
07 Nov 1736 - Charity Bowden married William Clark at Holy Trinity
08 Oct 1739 - Charity Jones had a son Richard baptised at Holy Trinity & many others
30 May 1740 - Charity Olde had a son James baptised at Holy Trinity & many others
29 Mar 1749 - Charity Clark married Joseph Churchill of Fordington
26 Dec 1765 - Charity Bragg baptised at All Saints
22 Aug 1773 - Charity the daughter of Samuel & Mary Rumsey was baptised at Holy Trinity
11 Oct 1780 - Charity daughter of William & Mary Finder baptised: and again 11 Apr 1784
14 Jan 1786 - Charity Ham Eames was baptised at the Dissenters Presbyterian Church in Pease Lane
11 Apr 1791 - Charity Bragg married John Coward at All Saints
30 Aug 1806 - Charity Bonifas had a daughter Ann baptised at the Dissenters Presbyterian Church in Pease Lane
07 Sep 1825 - Charity Critchell was a witness at the wedding of George Adams in Fordington
17 Sep 1827 - Charity Finder married Benjamin Green at Holy Trinity
27 Oct 1829 - Charity Bishop was a witness at the wedding of John White Bryant at Holy Trinity
28 Jan 1854 - Charity Green from the Union Workhouse was buried age 70 years at St peters
30 Apr 1876 - Charity Russell was bap at Fordington

17 July 1592 - Constance Bownd married William Clowther at Holy Trinity
?? June 1617 - Constance daughter of Charles Austen bap Holy Trinity
11 Oct 1635 - Constance Lavender married William Best at Holy Trinity
26 May 1639 - Constance daughter of Henry Curtis bap at Holy Trinity
28 May 1655 - Constance daughter of Richard Butler bap at All Saints
10 Feb 1686 - Constance West buried St Peters
30 Aug 1721 - Constance Limbrey buried Holy trinity
02 Feb 1777 - Constant - William son of William & Constant Bly baptised Holy Trinity
23 Aug 1815 - Constance Baldwin married John Hix at Holy Trinity

10 Apr 1572 - Ffaith the daughter of William Woodman Clerk and parson for Dorchester was buried at Holy Trinity
07 July 1606 - Faith Moody married William Palmer at Fordington
03 Apr 1871 - Faithful the son of Thomas & Caroline Banks aged 12 listed in the Census who married at St Georges church 4th May 1881
04 May 1881 - Faithful Banks married Ann Lyde at Fordington St Georges Church
27 Aug 1884 - Archibald Faithful son of Faithful and Ann Banks baptised at St Georges Church Fordington

06 Aug 1667 - Grace the daughter of Thomas & Mary Knapton bap at All Saints
27 May 1672 - Grace the daughter of Matthew Newman & Elizabeth bap at All Saints
20 May 1673 - Grace Butler married Roger Gray at All Saints
05 May 1679 - Grace Senger married John Hellard at All Saints
09 Apr 1696 - Grace the daughter of Thomas & Grace Knapton was bap at All Saints
12 Feb 1742 - Grace daughter of William & Mary Clarke baptised at Holy Trinity
03 Apr 1887 - Grace daughter of Walter & Sarah Ann Kingdon RHA Sergeant Baptised Christchurch West Fordington

12 Jun 1659 - Hope the daughter of Henry Hutchins borne 9th of May she was granted admin of her fathers estate 4th May 1686
10 Oct 1738 - Hope Rogers buried Holy Trinity

Note:- after arrest by Oliver Cromwell for his alleged involvement with a plan to raise money for the restoration of the monarchy - entry in Holy Trinity parish register.

07 Feb 1619 - Prudence Groze married William James at Holy Trinity
12 Nov 1655 - Prudence Preddey married George Petty of Dorchester at Cerne abbas
21 Apr 1667 - Prudence the wife of George Petty had a daughter Joanna bap at All Saints
09 May 1854 - Prudence William married Charles Medway at Fordington
26 Dec 1706 - William son of John & Prudence Locke baptised at Fordington
29 Jun 1718 - John base born son of Prudence Coward baptised at Fordington
14 Aug 1720 - Prudence Haydon married Thomas Gilbert at Holy Trinity
30 Jan 1727/8 - William son of Prudence Parker base born
14 Aug 1733 - Prudence daughter of John Page baptised Holy trinity

07 Oct 1754 - Repentance Shittler married William Summers at All Saints
17 Nov 1756 - Richard son of William & Repentance Sommers baptised at Holy Trinity
06 Dec 1815 - Repentance Summers from Friary [Lane] in this parish; buried 06 Dec 1815; age 96 years; St Peters burials.

25 Dec 1831 - Righteous Ann Godwin the wife of Henry had their daughter Elizabeth baptised at Holy Trinity

07 May 1735 - Temple son of Temple Slade baptised Holy Trinity
30 Nov 1740 - Temple Slade buried Holy Trinity

05 Feb 1603 - Temperance the daughter of Morgan Terin was bap at Holy Trinity
04 Oct 1638 - Temperance Terin married James Belringer at Holy Trinity and she was buried there 19th March 1645/6
13 Dec 1654 - Temperance Read an alms woman was buried at St Peter
26 July 1657 - Temperance Hutchins widow was buried at St Peters
10 May 1678 - Temperance the wife of Robert Pope was buried at Holy Trinity
20 July 1681 - Temperance the daughter of Joseph Pride baptised St Peters
17 June 1684 - Temperance Pride the wife of Jasper was buried at St Peters
31 Mar 1692 - Temperance Best married William Palmer at Holy Trinity - she was buried HT 29th May 1697
05 Jany 1719 - Temperance daughter of William & Mary Rodgers bap at All Saints
17 Feb 1729 - Temperance Morden was buried at St Peters
25 Jany 1735 - Temperance Wagland was buried at St Peters
21 Aug 1754 - Temperance Evomy was buried at All Saints
02 Mar 1757 - Temperance Luckess was buried at All Saints
03 Apr 1881 - Temperence Franklin daughter-in-law of Sarah Franklin living at Swann Inn Mill Street Fordington
10 Jun 1883 - Sarah Lucy daughter of Thomas & Temperance Franklin batised at St Georges Church Fordington
08 July 1883 - Ada Temperance daughter of George & Louisa Trevett abode The Ark Inn Fordington, occupation publican

1851 Census - Unity Hopkins house in All Saints
14 Dec 1858 - Unity Louisa daughter of John & Rose Joliffe baptised at St Georges Church Fordington
25 Mar 1868 - Unity Louisa daughter of John & Rosina Joliffe baptised at St Georges Church fordington
30 Dec 1880 - Unity Louisa daughter of John & Roseina Joliffe (bap F 1863) was a witness to the marriage of George Bartlett to Elizabeth hawkins at Fordington
11 Mar 1883 - Unity Joliff married Charles Henry Blandamer at St Georges Church Fordington

29 Aug 1742 - Aaron son of James & Elizabeth Cross baptised Holy Trinity
08 July 1758 - Aaron son of Robert & Dorothy Lester baptised St Peters
05 Jan 1812 - Mary Ann daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth Simms baptised at St Peters
12 Oct 1852 - Aaron Sibley father recorded at wedding of his son John at Holy Trinity
30 Oct 1853 - Aaron Longman father on marriage of his son Edward James at All saints;
13 Oct 1857 - Arthur the son of Aaron Turner buried at Civic cemetery from St Peters
25 dec 1870 - Aaron Lewis witness at wedding of James Samways at Fordington

[Note:- Aaron is a bibical name meaning a teacher; lofty; or mountain of strength depending on which Bible Dictionary referred to - the son of Amram and Jochebed, and the older brother of Moses and Miriam

27 Feb 1726 - Abel Best of Woolcombe married Mary Hinde of Frome Whitechurch (part of holy trinity)
08 July 1764 - Abel son of James & Mary Neigh baptised
30 Sep 1772 - Reverend Abel Edwards married Mary Bowditch at Holy Trinity
01 Aug 1776 - John Bowditch son of Abel & Mary Edwards baptised at the presbyterian Chapel in Pease Lane
11 Dec 1825 - Banns of marriage read between Thomas Abel Willmott and Rececca Farr at Fordington

[Note:- Abel is a bibical name meaning a breath or vanity - the second son of Adam and Eve, murdered by his brother Cain]

22 Apr 1872 - Absalom Toogood a staff sergeant in the DCM at his son James Reuben Toogood's marriage at Christchurch West Fordington (Also 1871 Census)

[Note:- Absalom is a bibical name meaning "father of peace"]

25 Jun 1675 - Peter son of Abraham Templeman baptised at Holy Trinity
14 Aug 1698 - Mary ye daughter of Abraham Holland baptised at Holy Trinity
09 Mar 1709 - Isaac son of Abraham Gey of St Peters baptised at Holy Trinity
18 Apr 1762 - Abraham Damon married Sarah Davy at Fordington
02 Jun 1771 - John son of Abraham & Susanna Damon:
30 Aug 1806 - Will of Abraham Baker of Dorchester dealer in earthenware
22 Feb 1825 - Abraham son of Isaac and Sarah Moors baptised at Fordington
20 July 1856 - Abraham son of Edwin & Christina Scrivens baptised at St peters
29 Dec 1833 - Abraham Isaac son of Abraham & Bathsheba Scriven baptised St Peters

[Note:- Abraham is a bibical name meaning "father of a great multitude"]

[Note:- Adam is a bibical name meaning "earthy; red" - the first man]

22 Jul 1841 - Elizabeth daughter of Aneas & Elizabeth Cross baptised at Fordington

[Note:- Aeneas is a bibical name meaning praiseworthy]

20 Jun 1852 - Amalek OLD a dairy man married Mary Roper at Christchurch West Fordington

[Note:- Amalek is a bibical name meaning dweller in a valley]

29 Apr 1793 - Athalia daughter of Edith & John Wheeler baptised at St Peters
18 Feb 1821 - Athalia daughter of William & Elizabeth Lockett buried members of the independant church in Dorchester
07 Oct 1860 - George Gillingham married Athaliah Clark baptised at All Saints

[Note:- Athaliah is a bibical name meaning "time of the Lord"]

19 Mar 1619 - Bathsheba daughter of William Smith baptised at Holy Trinity
07 Nov 1723 - Bathsheba Long of St Peters married Henry Symes of Burton at St peters Church
23 Jan 1735 - Bathsheba Bezant married Thomas Green at St George Fordington
21 Dec 1739 - Bathsheba Gray married Makias Brine at St Georges Church Fordington
26 Dec 1824 - Eliza daughter of Abraham & Bathsheba Scriven baptised
20 Oct 1844 - Bathsheba Green married John Hansford Sprankling at St Georges Church Fordington
22 Apr 1860 - Bathsheba daughter of Edwin and Christiana Scriven 22 Apr 1860:

[Note:- Bathsheba is a bibical name meaning "the seventh daughter; the daughter of satiety "]

[Note:- Benoni is a bibical name. Benjamin was the last born of Jacob's twelve sons the younger of the two children by Rachel (Genesis 35:24). He was born on the road between Bethlehem and Bethel, the only one of Jacob's sons to be born in what is today Israel. Tragically, Rachel died in giving him birth (Genesis 35:16-20). Her last words were to name the infant Benoni, meaning son of my sorrow, which was changed by Jacob to Benjamin, meaning son of my right hand]

[Note:- Caleb is a bibical name meaning a dog. He was one of the three sons of Hezron of the tribe of Judah]

07 Sep 1846 - Eli Bridle married matilda Cleal at St Georges Church Fordington
23 Oct 1882 - Eli Frederick son of Florence Mitchell bap St Peters

[Note:- Eli is a biblical name meaning the offering]

[Note:- Ephraim is a biblical name meaning fruitful or increasing]

[Note:- Hephzibah is a biblical name meaning "my delight in her".]

02 Jun 1846 - Ishmael Bull marriage witness Fordington. In the 1841 Census (Dist 5) Fordington aged 10son of George & Ann Bull

30 Oct 1864 - Ishmael Snook son of George & Mary of Mill Street Fordington bap St Georges Church

21 Nov 1603 - Israel the sonne of William Gleson was baptized at Holy Trinity

31 Aug 1895 - Israel Elkins father of Robert John Elkins who married St Peters Church to Frances Jane Andrews

11 Dec 1724 - Jonas Stickland son of Bartholomew Stickland baptized at Holy Trinity Church Dorchester 12th April 1573 [Note:-'Jonah or Jonas' is a name from the Bible meaning a dove]
27 Feb 1887 - Florence Minnie daughter of Jonas & Jane Symes baptised Christchurch West Fordington

11 Dec 1724 - Joram Foot of Buckland & Mary HULLEY of Martinstown married at St Peters [Note:-'Joram' is a name from the Bible for example the son of Ahab king of Israel]

03 DEc 1795 - Lot GARTEL married Elizabeth BUN at FstG

27 Nov 1887 - William John the son of Lot & Mary COOMBS was baptised at St george Church Fordington

Note:- Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala - a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered Madeline, while Magdalene or Magdalen is the learned form

Note:- Mathathias most commonly spelt Mathias was a biblical name meaning "Gift of the Lord"

Note:- Melchizedek is a biblical name meaning "King of Justice"

Noah Flood buried Holy Trinity 1850 age 23:
Link to an account of The Old Malthouse in Fordington, part of which was renamed 'Noah's Ark Inn' in 1860. (Includes Picture)
Noah Wick a labourer father of Samuel Wick All Saints Marriages 1862

[Note:- Obadiah is a biblical name meaning "Servant of the Lord"]

Onesiphorus

[Also Onesimus]

[Note:- Onesiphorus is a biblical name meaning "one who brings profit"]

[NOTE: Persis is an unusual female biblical name - she was a Christian woman in Rome whom St Paul salutes - she was spoken of as “beloved and as having laboured much in the Lord”

29 Jan 1788 - Solomon Pain signed an indenture to become an apprentice to Robert Henning of Dorchester an Attorny
13 Feb 1874 - Solomon Lake of Fordington arrested for stealing a loaf of bread aged 9

[Note:- Theophilus is a biblical name meaning "friend of God"]

[Note:- Zachariah is a biblical name meaning 'In memory of the Lord']