Friday Quick Tip

OK, so this Friday's quick tip is this: in family history, if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck - sometimes it's unbelievably not a duck!

A Strange (and Creepy) Tradition

One of the odder, and more unnerving, of (thankfully) outdated Victorian traditions is that of post-mortem photographs. This is where photographs would be taken of deceased relatives, often in poses as if they were alive when photographed, in order to have a memorial picture. Many would not be able to afford such a photograph, so they're generally found in middle-class families. And, unfortunately, with the child mortality rate being high, many of them are of deceased children; these tend to be the most unnerving. For those of you with an interest in this ghoulish tradition, you can see some examples (warning: seriously creepy and unnerving and probably not suitable for children) here.

Friday Quick Tip

I guess that it's that time of week again: Friday Quick Tip time! This Friday's tip may seem like a no-brainer but you'd be surprised how easy it is to forget to do this. So do your best to remember that online genealogy resources often update what databases are available, or add more names to their databases - so it's worth you checking what new records are available on a regular basis.

Victorian Crime and Penny Dreadfuls

Found this interesting article about the Victorian fascination with crime and it's similarity with our own.

Of course, the Victorian penny dreadfuls, those cheap papers full of salacious and gory details, and fully illustrated throughout, weren't all bad (and bare a striking resemblance to some modern magazines.) Penny dreadfuls were accessible to the lower classes, undoubtedly they would have helped many to teach family members to read and extended the vocabulary of hundreds if not thousands. The 'lower-end' press would also allow working people to connect with what was going on in the country; people could take the first step on the line to developing their own opinions on current events and the prominent figures of the day. Of course, unless you owned property you couldn't vote anyway, but it was a step forward in the inclusion of all in what happens in this country.

War Snippets - Our Four-legged and Feathered Friends

My great-grandfather's regiment (likely to be his main regiment, the mounted military police,) with a puppy in the front row

The animals of world war one also deserve a little recognition. Of course, the success of War Horse has raised the profile of these deserving animal friends, but there's still very little the public knows about the animal contribution to the war. There's an interesting overview of the Blue Cross' involvement with war horses here. Many officers used horses as a means of transport around the trenches, with some regiments - such as the Mounted Military Police - generally riding horses, regardless of rank.

Pigeons also served as messengers in both wars, risking their lives to deliver messages and keep the lines of communication going. Thousands served and died in the first world war alone.

Dogs also worked as messengers, as well as carrying aid, sniffing out soldiers, and acting as watchdogs. Several also helped carry equipment such as machine guns. As well as, of course, the odd regimental mascot. Thousands of dogs served in the trenches in one capacity or another, as many as 7000 had previously been pets.

Friday Quick Tip

What can I tell you for this Friday's quick tip? Let me see, well I'm in a rather odd mood today so this Friday's quick'n'handy family history tip is this: perseverance. Sometimes something can drive you mad because there's just nothing you can do to find the answer to your question. But that's ok, take a break and put it on the backburner perhaps, but don't give up on it completely; you never know when you'll break through that infamous 'brick wall.'

(And if you need another perspective to the problem, you could always try my hourly rate 'leaves' service at www.familyhistorybycerys.co.uk)

Just For Fun

One of my favourite Horrible Histories moments, the Dick Turpin highwayman song - you're never too old.

Tales From China

Image Courtesy of sakhorn38/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The notorious China area of Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, was one of crime and prostitution. In 1862, the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian reported on how a fool and his money is often parted.

A boatman named Evan Salathiel had gone to 'a house of illfame' (essentially a brothel, or a lodging-house used by prostitutes,) in China with Ruth Lloyd, who is described as an unfortunate. It looks like Ruth saw her chance when he'd had a bit to drink, and seems to have stolen 10s. 6d. from him, for which she was sentenced to three years.

I found Evan Salathiel in the 1861 census, about a year before this, working as a boatman in the hamlet of Rhydyboithan, Eglwysilan. His address is Walnut Tree Bridge, which would put him somewhere in the 'Walnut Tree' part of Glyntaff, on the canal. He was a married man with three sons, Taliesin, Jachomis (sic) and John.

Ruth Lloyd meanwhile, in 1861, lived in China with her 4 month old daughter, Milla. She claimed to be a widowed dressmaker, with a lodger by the name of Jane Davies who apparently worked as a washerwoman; Ruth and Jane are likely to have been prostitutes. The street had no need of more dressmakers, washerwomen, charwomen, or lodging-house keepers. There are also a few general labourers (men,) a huckster (female,) a few iron-workers (unisex) and what appears to be a handholder (though the writing is bad so it may be something else) and a yard girl (I think; again, the writing isn't the best, I also don't know whether a yard girl was innocent or not, particularly in a house with several washerwomen.) 
Whether Milla lived through her childhood is unclear. Certainly, living in the poorest of conditions with her mother in prison, in an age where child mortality was high would not have left her in good stead. What her fate would have been beyond childhood is another question mark, maybe she would have been able to make something of her life or maybe she would've become another dressmaker or washerwoman in China. I like to think the poor girl made it, somehow, to happiness, but I guess that's the optimist in me.

Bye for now!

Friday Quick Tip

This Friday's quick and handy little genealogy tip is to do with organisation. Because first names run in families (e.g. if your ancestor was William Davies it's likely he had a son named William Davies, a grandson named William Davies, a great-grandson named William Davies, a nephew named William Davies, etc.) it's best to find ways to tell them apart when you're researching/writing about/talking about them. One of the simplest ways to do this is simply by putting their birth year after their name, e.g. William Davies (b. abt. 1835,) in an attempt to avoid confusion.

An Ordinary Man and An Extraordinary Life

This story is a bit more modern than what my blog posts are normally about - but I couldn't get over the story of Jean-Louis Cremieux-Brilhac, which can be read here. One of the many examples of how wars take ordinary people and put them in extraordinary situations - many of which no-one would hope to be in. Jean-Louis survived being a PoW to make a real contribution to the liberation of France after WWII - and I'm very happy to say is still alive at the genial age of 97.

War Snippets

Another one of my interesting newspaper finds folks, and hopefully one which will show yet another view of the first world war.

I came across an ad in the Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard on 15th June 1917, which reads:

You are tired of reading about the War and

THE KAISER

Read this and Learn how you can SAVE MONEY

 

The Executors of the late MR. J THOMAS

are offering for Sale the whole of the Stock

of Jewellery, Silver Goods, and Electro-Plate

at a REDUCTION OF 3s. IN THE £.

If you would like to secure some Real Bargains

It will pay you

 

TO VISIT

 

Us, and see our Fine Selection of Goods.

Watches and Clocks of every description.

Many Special Bargains at LESS THAN COST.

Any Purchaser bringing this Advertisement

will be allowed a Special Discount of

4s. IN THE £.

 

NOTE THE ADDRESS-                                                          

18, GREAT DARKGATE STREET

 

ABERYSTWYTH

 

Turns out that people will never miss the chance for some unique marketing!