General Chat

The most likely origin of the surname Sayce seems to be along the Welsh borders, particularly Shropshire. It describes an Englishman (a sais or saxon).

That area of Pembrokeshire has always been known as "little England beyond Wales" so it may be that the Saxon families there took on the name of Sais/Sayce/Sayse - as they did in Shropshire and Herefordshire.

Hi

I just noticed your post as I was about to go to bed!!!

I was in St Nicholas yesterday! My 4x Great Grandparents (James') were born there. What caught my eye was Abra Sais (Thankyou Ann).

My 4 xGreat Grandmother from Nolton was Eleanor Saise (1750-1821) who married William Codd (1747-1812).

I will try to look for any info and / or link to my ancestor when I can this week.

nice surprise then Jemima!!!

Abigail Abra Sayce
Birth ABT 1763
Death 24 APR 1847 in Quarry Backs, Jeffreyston, Pembroke, Wales

This is on another site but sadly no references :-(

Sue

thank you every one for all the info

i think the best thing from here is for me to get the death cert for
Name: Abigail Canton
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1847
Registration District: Narbech
Inferred County: Pembrokeshire
Volume: 26
Page: 649

to see if her name is realy Abigail or Abra
and if her husban charles cantan/canton is on the cert i will no if im on the right track

but im now woundering if abra is welsh spockon for abigail

shelly xxx

Family tree on Ancestry

Abigal Sayce
[Abra Sayce]
Birth: Abt 1763 - Wales
Death: 24 Apr 1847 - Pembroke, Wales
Marriage: 19 Sep 1789 - Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Spouse: Charles Cantan


She is on several trees, but they all appear to be copies of each other. 6 or 7 children.

Andy

I would read the name as Abigail known as Abra. Re the Sayce I do think it could be Sais (a rather derogatory term for English). The spelling could be appropriate if the enumerator was English speaking.

The info I put up does give her husband as Charles Canton.

Shelley, Abra was definitely a name. Not a popular one, but it was feminine of Abraham same as Georgia and Augusta and Wilhemina were feminine of George and Augustus and William.

Abigail seems to be a totally different name to Abra. However, Abigail was much more popular and, as I said in an earlier post, her name Abra was probably Abby within the family. As Abby was usually short for Abigail, that is probably where confusion came from.

I note what SueC has said about sais. Those were my thoughts at first. But along the Welsh borders, Sayce became a surname and was not uncommon in Shropshire west of Shrewsbury. The root was sais (English). I think that would probably have been the root in Pembrokeshire, which was known as little England beyond Wales.

Andrew
yes i have seen the other trees on ancestry and see that the info
has been coped.
i dont tend to mail people on ancestry as thay nether seem to get back to me
i think it has to do with the way i say and word things.
i no i can be very confusing at times :-(

supercrutch and john
all though the Abigail Canton death seems to fit with birth date and place of birth
i have sent off for the death cert and i will post on her to let you all no if we have the right name for my abra

:-D

It will be interesting to have more details :-)

FMP record someone mentioned earlier:

Last name: Canton
First Name: Abigail
County: Pembrokeshire
Place / Parish: Jeffreyston
Age: 84
Burial Year: 1847
Burial Month: Apr
Burial Day: 27
Died Year: -
Died Month: -
Died Day: -
Fathers Forenames: -
Mothers Forenames: -
Husbands Forenames: -
Page: 52
Record source: Pembroke Burials - Transcripts
Data provider: Welsh Archive Services / Gwasanaethau Archifau Cymru

Her abode is given as 'Quarry Backs'.

Apologies if this has already been posted.

There was definitely an ABRA on a gravestone in one of the graveyards I visited in Pembrokeshire on Tuesday. If I'd had this info before the visit I would have paid more attention to it! It caught my eye because I thought it was Abraham, but then I realised it was a woman's grave. If it had been Sais or Saise I would have noticed, but with the spelling Sayce I perhaps missed it! :-(

I went to 4 Graveyards- St Nicholas, Rehoboth Chapel near Mathry, Llanrhian Churchyard and Llanrhian Cemetery.

JemimaFawr
you no what you do now dont you

you go get your wellis on and you go trot right back there :-D

now were was your camra you always take a photo of as many head stone as you can just in case you miss some think and you nether no if any one eals need a photo from that cemetery :-D

O dear what are we to do with you

only jokeing

but was it a very big cemetery thinking may be i could get the old man to take me there next summer think its only about 5 hours drive from me
and that will give me plenty of time to see if i can find any more ancester from
wales

:-D :-D :-D

up date as i now have the death cert

and it looks like abra name is abigail
as cert says widow of charles canton and charles was her husband
and informant is henry canton.
so i now no she must of had a son henry or the henry on her cert could be her
granson

abra must of been a nick name or shoult for abigail

so thank you all for your help

xxxxx