John Zadoc Vince, a coach builder and blacksmith, and Mary Ann Hudson lived in Downham, Norfolk from their marriage in 1842. They had six children, each with successively more adventurous names.
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The Vince family on the 1881 census
1. John Orviss Solomon, born in 1846, was the couple's first child and only surviving son.
2. Anna Maria, born in 1848, was the couple's eldest daughter, given two variants of her mother's names.
3. Theresa Natal Maria Antoinette, was born in 1850, and set the pattern, for all the subsequent children, of having four given names.
4. Lizzy Emile Clotilda Lizette was born in 1854. She was given the same name as an older sibling, born in 1852, who had died a year before her birth. She is listed as "Lizzy" or "Lizzie" on all census pages while living with her parents. Her marriage entry records her name as "Lizzy Amelia C. L." but appears on census records after marriage as "Emily."
5. Abigail was born in 1857. Her birth entry records her name as Abigail Bethuel Cleopatra Bernice. On the 1861 and 1881 census she is listed as "Abigail B. B. C." and "Abigail Bernice B. C." in 1871, indicating that her the order of names became mixed up at various points.
6. Aletheia, born in 1860, was the couple's youngest child. Pinpointing her given name proves a little problematic. Her birth entry records Aletheia Eshtael Hazelepone Jochebed --- the second name is most likely the biblical place name Eshtaol, while the third is more commonly spelt Hazelelponi. By the time of her marriage, her name is listed as "Althea Athaliah Z. J." but by her death entry she is back to "Aletheia E. H. J."
Each census lists a slightly different name:
1861: Alethea E. J.
1871: Allthea E. Z. J.
1881: Althea A. Z. J.
Most likely the Z initial represents Zelelponi -- an occasional variant of Hazelelponi. It isn't clear if Eshtaol consciously changed to Athaliah or whether that was simply an error.
