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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Deskman on Monday 12 February 18 11:56 GMT (UK)

Title: 1889 diary p37 rather jolly girl
Post by: Deskman on Monday 12 February 18 11:56 GMT (UK)
This is really not important but it does tease me.

It is 'all very festive tho a rather jolly girl...' is  a strange phrase

Who is the the girl? A nickname? A surname? A Christian name?

At a dinner;
'Margery’s back – the dowager
away in town. Maud by far the more
approachable, Madeline very gracious but
less get atable all very festive tho a
rather jolly girl called “Dumps” there
'

This is the end of the sentence and the 'rather jolly girl' does not feature again in the diary.

I will post suggested images of the writer's word forms if you think it would help.

Thanks for any ideas.

bold text is through the help of folk here.
Title: Re: 1889 diary p37 rather jolly girl
Post by: Deskman on Monday 12 February 18 12:30 GMT (UK)
To illustrate my train of thought here is a Durer from the diary.

There is also 'kind of snaps at poor old B' at http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=787330.0 (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=787330.0)
Title: Re: 1889 diary p37 rather jolly girl
Post by: Gadget on Monday 12 February 18 13:09 GMT (UK)
I'm thinking it could be a nick or pet name - something like Dumps  :-\
Title: Re: 1889 diary p37 rather jolly girl
Post by: lizdb on Monday 12 February 18 14:30 GMT (UK)
I agree with gadget. It looks like "Dumps" to me too, and the inverted commas around it suggest it is a pet name rather than her actual name.
Title: Re: 1889 diary p37 rather jolly girl
Post by: clayton bradley on Monday 12 February 18 15:20 GMT (UK)
Diddie, Dumps & Tot or, Plantation child-life - Google Books Result
https://books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=3847207954
Louise Clarke Pyrnelle - 2012 - ‎Fiction
Now, you must not think that the little girls had been carried to the font and baptized with such ridiculous names as Diddie, Dumps, and Tot: these were only pet names that Mammy had given them; but they had been called by them so long that many persons forgot that Diddie's name was Madeleine, that Dumps ...
Title: Re: 1889 diary p37 rather jolly girl
Post by: Deskman on Monday 12 February 18 15:58 GMT (UK)
Now this is a revelation. I have long thought the word was "Dumps" but I couldn't find a name it might have been transmuted from.

My posting was in the hope I was wrong about 'Dumps'.

With Clayton Bradley's magnificent connection I am introduced to an extraordinary piece of racist American South literature of 1882, three girls; Madeleine, Elinor and Eugenia, and pony called Corbin.

I am now entirely satisfied that it is Dumps and we may well have a rather jolly Elinor at dinner.

What amazing powers you have here folks.

Thank you Clayton Bradley, Gadget and lizdb,

Deskman