A very strange first name.....

Fifer · Post by **Fifer** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:45 am

About this first name " Engber *

I have a copy of a census page for North Leith 1841

It show :

John Pustie (should be Poustie) as 'head' age 68, occup 'blacksmith' b Scot.

Engber 'ditto' female age 52 b Scot.
-------

I am hoping someone can tell me if they ever came across this first name.
It does not exist in Google, not on LDS Family Search, not in Rootsweb, not on Genes Re United and many other Genealogy Sites.

It is even hard to find as a surname. There are two prominent US writers, Dan Engber and Andrea Enger, can be found in Google.

You can view the Census image here :

http://www.geocities.com/floriana4me/Engber.html

I have been unable to trace John and Engber 1841+

John was born 1773 Kilconquhar Fife. No marriage found.

Your comments appreciated. Thanks.

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:18 am

A quick look at :

http://www.behindthename.com

came up with 2 male names that are similar;

Engle
Means "angel" in German.

Englebert
From a Germanic name composed of the elements Angil "Angle" (the name of Germanic tribe) and beraht "bright".
JJ

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:53 am

Hello,

I know this doesn't help but it has been transcribed as Eogber Cristie on the Freecen site.

Annette M

Davie · Post by **Davie** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 6:39 pm

Hi
Never heard on Engber as a given name.
Cannot think of anything close.
Probably foreign from Yorkshire or the likes

However, it was the Poustie that interested me.
I have only ever came across the name once before on my researches.
That was Jean Poustie married to Thomas Marr in Fife, they had seven children including John (b1823) who was a Schoolmaster in Montrose.
Just though I would pass that info along
Davie

Thrall · Post by **Thrall** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 7:25 pm

Hi

My gr.grandmother´s younger sister Jemima Kay b.1849, Elie, married a William Poustie b.1832 and had four children, so there were a few around, perhaps mainly in Fife it would seem. Can give a few more details if required; they seem to have been in the wood turning and cabinet making business.
As you say, a strange name,(almost as weird as Engber

), wonder what the origin is.

Thrall

JayPee · Post by **JayPee** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 7:47 pm

I haven't seen that particular spelling, but I've come across Ingeber, particularly in Norway.
- JayPee

Thrall · Post by **Thrall** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:47 pm

Hi, after a little burrowing, I found that Engbert is probably of Scandinavian origin as Jay Pee surmised, and Eng referred first to the Angles (from Angeln, hence England) but was later associated with angels (of the flying variety); bert means "bright", so all very reasonable but still not a first name one sees often to say the least.

Thrall

Fifer · Post by **Fifer** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:23 am

Hi to all who replied

Believe me there's a lot of Poustie folk about. About 20+ families in Melbourne Aust. I have complete data from c1550 to 1995 and I have a POUSTIE Website in MyFamily.com. This is a password protected Site to protect the private family photos but anyone can join if you have a Poustie link. If interested please let me know. We have about 35 members.

You are correct in thinking there is a Scandinavian connection. It all began in St Monance and Kilconquhar Fife and the surname was POUSTO and POUSTU plus another dozen variants. So it is believed that they came from Finland as I have found out that surname can still be found in Finland today. Mind you, still a bit of guessing.

That Engber name got me beaten. I have had a look at the 1851 Census of Nth Leith but did not exactly look for Engber with another surname, in case she remarried. She was much younger then John the blacksmith.

Davie · Post by **Davie** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:34 pm

Greetin's Fifer,
Thomas Marr and Jean Poustie's children were all born in
Kilconquher
Jean Marr nee Poustie died there as well, in 1874.
Born in Kilconquher on the 8th September 1790.
Father William, mother Jane Bruce,
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dauvit ... .dir=/9e43

I hope it is readable, if not I can e-mail it to you.
It is a download from SP and is very clear.
Her son James witnessed it
Here he is on the 1881 census

Dwelling: George St No 103
Census Place: Edinburgh St Georges, Edinburgh, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0223999 GRO Ref Volume 685-2 EnumDist 100 Page 10
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
James Mach. MARR M 42 M Colinsburgh, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Assistant Searcher PO
Elizabeth MACFARLANE OR MARR M 41 F Ireland
Rel: Wife

Awrabest
Davie

Thrall · Post by **Thrall** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:08 pm

Hi Fifer, I'm afraid I only suggested that Engber(t) was of Scandinavian origin, so can take no credit for guessing at Poustie's origin. Some would even say, particularly my Finnish friends, that only possibly the most north western part of Finnland could conceivably be thought of as Scandinavian but there I´m getting pedantic! Even we Icelanders have mixed feelings about sometimes being called Scandinavian.

I would however like to see the Poustie website if I may.

Thrall