Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

My wife has discovered a distant unmarried relative called Hephzibah HUCKS whom according to the 1891 census was living in Hertford and her occupation is described as a certified teacher of art.

My question is twofold. Are there any records of CH Hertford teaching staff and if so did Hephzibah teach there?

HEPHZIBAH ! What a wonderful name, positively 17th Century Puritan, but I see it is 19th Century
I have just looked it up, in my Concordance, and she was the Mother of Manassah (Who was a Bad Lot -- sorry) See 2 Kings first verse and Hezekiah's Wife, also mentioned in Isiah 62 v 4 --- so there, but you probably knew that already ! She was admired and revered. As I said --- what a lovely name, but I expect any modern Child would hate you for naming her thus !

If you think that name is good, perhaps you should know that Hephzibah Hucks' mother's name was Kerenhappuck Stevens! I did a quick check of censuses back to 1851 and found her on all of them - she was born in Hertford in 1849. I assume you have all this information, but do get back to me if not. Sorry, so far I have been unable to check on the CH connection, but I will have a go later.

I found a Kerrenhappuck Jordan above an ancestor of mine on the 1861 census in Dorchester, Oxon. There was clearly a fashion for it. Does anyone know why?

Was Yehudi Menuhin's sister not called Hephzibah?

michael scuffil wrote:I found a Kerrenhappuck Jordan above an ancestor of mine on the 1861 census in Dorchester, Oxon. There was clearly a fashion for it. Does anyone know why?

Was Yehudi Menuhin's sister not called Hephzibah?

I think you are correct.

Jemima, Kezia and Keren-happuch were the three daughters of Job (Ch 42 v 14) :-

"14
of whom he called the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.
15
In all the land no other women were as beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brethren."

I happen to know that..........it's where my name comes from. Fortunately my Dad insisted on not using the second part of it; unfortunately he was a philistine and mis-spelt the first part when registering the birth. At least that must make me pretty unique.

Fjgrogan wrote:If you think that name is good, perhaps you should know that Hephzibah Hucks' mother's name was Kerenhappuck Stevens! I did a quick check of censuses back to 1851 and found her on all of them - she was born in Hertford in 1849. I assume you have all this information, but do get back to me if not. Sorry, so far I have been unable to check on the CH connection, but I will have a go later.

Yes we know of Kerenhappuk Stevens. There is also a Hephzibah Stevens and an Ebenezer Stevens. They were Congregationalists I believe which may explain the exotic choice of biblical names.

Mid A 15 wrote:
Yes we know of Kerenhappuk Stevens. There is also a Hephzibah Stevens and an Ebenezer Stevens. They were Congregationalists I believe which may explain the exotic choice of biblical names.

I don't know 'em, and the higlighted section is probably the reason why.

Not many Congregationalists get into the bars I use, or the football grounds !

I can't help the Name enquiry but----
Dorchester Oxon, is in fact, Dorchester-on Thames,
I used to live in Benson -- about three miles away, and had a boat moored on the Thame (Sic) which joins the Thames at that point !
Dorchester Abbey is there, and they have records going back to the 13th Century, well worth a visit.
"Commercial" follows ----- Visit "Halliday's Antiques" -- 9 Showrooms in the centre of the village, they also sell hand-carved Pine Mantelpieces ---I used to work there, on Antiques, with the original Don Halliday, until 1965 --- "Commercial " ends !

Talking of the daughters of Job, there's a Kezia in Katherine Mansfield'd short story The Doll's House. I've heard this pronounced on the Beeb as KEEZia, but if it's also spelt Keziah, then presumably it ought to be pronounced to rhyme with Isaiah. Anyone know any Kezias?

Was there not a Kezia Noel Paton?

Yes there was. Dr, at CH Horsham. And yes, she pronounced it to rhyme with 'Isaiah' - as did my family. As children, my mother's nickname was 'Jemima' and her younger sister's 'Kezia' (their grandfather, a Welsh preacher, thought that their dad had to have 'the patience of Job.....')

Kerren, are you an abbreviation of Kerenhappuch?

Yes Michael. See my posting Monday lunchtime, above....
When he registered my birth, my dad chopped out the last bit and couldn't spell the first bit.......

michael scuffil wrote:Talking of the daughters of Job, there's a Kezia in Katherine Mansfield'd short story The Doll's House. I've heard this pronounced on the Beeb as KEEZia, but if it's also spelt Keziah, then presumably it ought to be pronounced to rhyme with Isaiah. Anyone know any Kezias?

My great-great-grandmother was Abigail Keziah Sidebottom (nee Biggs). It's a sufficiently unusual combination to be helpful in genealogical searches!