1
Somerset / Thomas William Durbin, 1894-1953 Bristol
« on: Tuesday 30 November 21 14:41 GMT (UK) »
Believed son of Thomas and Emma Durbin. Would like to confirm this, and would be glad of any further information regarding ancestry.
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2
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Re: Top hat styles and dates
« on: Tuesday 19 December 17 10:39 GMT (UK) »
That seems to settle it - thank you very much indeed.
So it was in the last decade of his life. Not an outdated hat then from his younger days, but reasonably in fashion?
There's no more to see - that's the whole photograph.
So it was in the last decade of his life. Not an outdated hat then from his younger days, but reasonably in fashion?
There's no more to see - that's the whole photograph.
3
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Re: Top hat styles and dates
« on: Tuesday 19 December 17 09:35 GMT (UK) »
Thank you - very interesting.
I deliberately didn't reveal all I know, as I wanted to discover if anything could be deduced from the hat alone, uninfluenced by extraneous information.
I found the picture online, with no source attributed.
The subject was my great great grandfather, a clergyman who lived from 1807-1879. I have no information about his character at all, so I wondered if something as personal as a hat might just possibly say something about the wearer.
It struck me that the hat was quite tall, perhaps pointing to early rather then later Victorian?
Also that it has a pronounced widening at the top, not straight-sided like a stovepipe or more modern shallower hat.
The brim has very little turn-up, unlike the Empire suggested, and what strikes me as quite a modest sweep front to back.
My guess would have been the choice of a would-be dandy, restrained as befitting a clergyman, but with a touch of man-about-town showing through? On the other hand, he is as pointed out mistreating his hat. This advice from the website of Oliver Browwn, hatters, of Chelsea:
"When wearing an antique top hat, special care should always be taken when setting it down on a flat surface. Always set the hat down upright, with the brim of the hat on the table. This maintains the condition of the crown, which is vulnerable to damage, and once worn can never be repaired, only blackened to minimise the effect of the damage."
Apart from basic stuff like family and catalogue of his livings, the only interesting thing I know about him is that as a young man he accidentally took his brother's eye out with a gun!
As with all family history, it's so frustrating that relatives didn't ask more questions of older members when they were alive. His daughter lived to 95 and my father knew her, his grandmother, well, so he could have asked her about her family and upbringing.
I deliberately didn't reveal all I know, as I wanted to discover if anything could be deduced from the hat alone, uninfluenced by extraneous information.
I found the picture online, with no source attributed.
The subject was my great great grandfather, a clergyman who lived from 1807-1879. I have no information about his character at all, so I wondered if something as personal as a hat might just possibly say something about the wearer.
It struck me that the hat was quite tall, perhaps pointing to early rather then later Victorian?
Also that it has a pronounced widening at the top, not straight-sided like a stovepipe or more modern shallower hat.
The brim has very little turn-up, unlike the Empire suggested, and what strikes me as quite a modest sweep front to back.
My guess would have been the choice of a would-be dandy, restrained as befitting a clergyman, but with a touch of man-about-town showing through? On the other hand, he is as pointed out mistreating his hat. This advice from the website of Oliver Browwn, hatters, of Chelsea:
"When wearing an antique top hat, special care should always be taken when setting it down on a flat surface. Always set the hat down upright, with the brim of the hat on the table. This maintains the condition of the crown, which is vulnerable to damage, and once worn can never be repaired, only blackened to minimise the effect of the damage."
Apart from basic stuff like family and catalogue of his livings, the only interesting thing I know about him is that as a young man he accidentally took his brother's eye out with a gun!
As with all family history, it's so frustrating that relatives didn't ask more questions of older members when they were alive. His daughter lived to 95 and my father knew her, his grandmother, well, so he could have asked her about her family and upbringing.
4
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Top hat styles and dates
« on: Saturday 16 December 17 08:33 GMT (UK) »
Is anyone here an expert in identifying a particular style of top hat, and suggesting a likely date?
Does the period of the hat match the style of the other clothes or furniture? Can you tell anything about the wearer from the style of his hat?
All I can get from some basic searches is that it most closely resembles the Oxford or Collegian hat, but has a pronounced widening bell shape rather than stove-pipe, with a very thin brim and restrained curve, ie unlike a Dandy.
Many thanks
Does the period of the hat match the style of the other clothes or furniture? Can you tell anything about the wearer from the style of his hat?
All I can get from some basic searches is that it most closely resembles the Oxford or Collegian hat, but has a pronounced widening bell shape rather than stove-pipe, with a very thin brim and restrained curve, ie unlike a Dandy.
Many thanks
5
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: One word in a will, 1765
« on: Sunday 29 October 17 15:02 GMT (UK) »
Well, that was quick. Many thanks indeed Claire.
It seems so obvious now
I kept reading it as Julan, but couldn't see the obvious - Juliana has been abbreviated.
It seems so obvious now
I kept reading it as Julan, but couldn't see the obvious - Juliana has been abbreviated.
6
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / One word in a will, 1765
« on: Sunday 29 October 17 13:56 GMT (UK) »I can make out all the words in this will apart from one daughter's second name.
"To my Daughter Ann Wybrow one third part or share thereof to my Daughter Grace ***** George Wybrow and one third part or share thereof to my son George Wybrow each share or part thereof shall be paid at …"
The first capital, which resembles a greek "Beta", is I think an "I" - plenty of other examples in the will. Or a "J" ? Julia? Julian?
Also it's a bit odd that a daughter received the name George, unless it's a family surname of course.
Can anyone help?
7
Carmarthenshire / Re: Place name meaning
« on: Friday 15 September 17 18:04 BST (UK) »
I knew wig was a mutation of gwig, meaning wood. What puzzles me is the earlier "wing" version.
"wig" makes perfect sense and aptly describes the house's situation, but "wing" just seems nonsense.
Or does it have some significance in Welsh?
"wig" makes perfect sense and aptly describes the house's situation, but "wing" just seems nonsense.
Or does it have some significance in Welsh?
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Carmarthenshire / Place name meaning
« on: Friday 15 September 17 12:01 BST (UK) »
Our house is called Cnwc y wig, which I understand means "hillock in the wood".
But before about 1948 it was always simply called Cnwc, and is marked as that on older maps. I always assumed that the longer name was a modern addition to help the PO, as there a many Cnwcs in this part of Wales.
But I recently discovered that in the 1841 census the house is called "Cnwc y wing". I assumed this must have been an enumerator's mistake, writing wing for wig. However I now find that the field and house names in the Tithe Awards of that period also use the "wing" spelling.
Does it mean anything in Welsh? If English, what does it signify about the location?
That name was never used again in any maps or records, until the modern wig version appeared 100 years later.
But before about 1948 it was always simply called Cnwc, and is marked as that on older maps. I always assumed that the longer name was a modern addition to help the PO, as there a many Cnwcs in this part of Wales.
But I recently discovered that in the 1841 census the house is called "Cnwc y wing". I assumed this must have been an enumerator's mistake, writing wing for wig. However I now find that the field and house names in the Tithe Awards of that period also use the "wing" spelling.
Does it mean anything in Welsh? If English, what does it signify about the location?
That name was never used again in any maps or records, until the modern wig version appeared 100 years later.
9
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: French shorthand
« on: Tuesday 22 August 17 09:13 BST (UK) »
Sorry, the second one chopped a bit off