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Messages - andrewalston

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10
The Lighter Side / Who wears the trousers?
« on: Wednesday 28 February 24 11:31 GMT (UK)  »
I came across this 1921 census sheet with a "non-traditional" twist.

The handwriting appears to be Benjamin's - the signature matches.

In 1911 the family were at the same address, with Benjamin as Head.

11
The Lighter Side / Re: The railway revolution and its impact on our ancestors.
« on: Thursday 22 February 24 09:51 GMT (UK)  »
Would there have been children's fares then? It's a long journey to be in the baggage car if the kids were posted!
The same advert says "Children under Ten Years of Age will be taken at Half Fares".

At the time ten year olds would probably be working.  :(

12
The Lighter Side / Re: The railway revolution and its impact on our ancestors.
« on: Sunday 18 February 24 18:09 GMT (UK)  »
The reason I looked for 1851 was because that was the year of the Great Exhibition.

Research has revealed that people would put a little away each week (often in a "club") to pay for the visit to the Crystal Palace, and accommodation whilst in London.

Thomas Cook arranged for 150000 such visits.

13
The Lighter Side / Re: The railway revolution and its impact on our ancestors.
« on: Saturday 17 February 24 14:58 GMT (UK)  »
Came across an ad in the Edinburgh Evening Courant in 1851, for the Caledonian Railway, which would go via Carlisle.
RETURN TICKETS TO LONDON AND BACK BY THE NIGHT MAILS EVERY EVENING
Return Tickets..
Leaving Edinburgh at 9.15pm and Glasgow at 9.5pm
FIRST CLASS £5, SECOND CLASS £4.
To return within 14 days by the Train leaving Euston at 8.45pm.

There were also special Excursion Trains every Friday evening with fares £4 and £3, with 3rd class at £2, return in either 7 or 14 days.

Assuming an average speed of 30mph, the 400-ish miles from Glasgow or Edinburgh would take less than 14 hours. Peak speeds could be in excess of 50mph, but fuel costs would be lower at less.

14
Lancashire / Re: Where was Hatton's Yard, Ashton in Makerfield?
« on: Saturday 17 February 24 14:07 GMT (UK)  »
Following the 1841 walk on the NLS 1840s map, he starts in Seneley Green (which takes over 5 pages), deals with the houses in Strange Lane, then backtracks to Seneley Green. The schoolmistress is a couple of doors before Strange Lane, and I would expect her to be close to the school. School Lane is not listed by name, but seems to have no houses in the 1840s..

Hattons Yard is then listed, then Gibbons Lane. The route then follows the northern side of the district, ending at Leyland Green. I have to assume that the route took in all the buildings in that area.

Tithe Barn Lane and Tithe Barn Hillock, to the south, are in another enumeration district, so that is not the route. 

The only two groups of buildings which might be described as a "yard" is marked as "Crow Trees" on the 1840s map (by the 1890s it is called "Manor House") and Seneley Green Stables.

THEN

I looked at 1851. Henry Sutton, age 45, was at "Hatton's Fold". It has to be the same man. The enumerator's walk then goes from Ashton Cross, along Tithe Barn Lane and then Arch Lane as far as the parish boundary. Presumably backtracking to Tithe Barn Hillock, the man then visits Penny's Lodge, where the gamekeeper lives, before reaching Hatton's Fold. There are four households, then Seneley Green is reached. The front page says "to and including Tithe Barn Lane, Hatton's or Tunstall's Fold, Tithe Barn Hillock, Arch Lane..."

In 1861, Henry Sutton is down as being at "Dunstall's Fold", between Tithe Barn Hillock and Arch Lane. Tellingly, George Greenall is still next-door-but-one.

My guess is that the Fold was pretty close to what is now Tithe Barn Farm.

In 1861, the route goes from Ashton Cross, along Tithe Barn Lane and then Dunstall's Fold. It then follows Arch Lane, then "Penny Hall", where the gamekeeper lives, then "Torpen Howe", which is shown on the map, north east of the end of Arch Lane. The enumerator then follows the track east to Seneley Green. The page at the front of the ED says "Tithe Barn Lane, including Dunstall's fold, Tithe Barn Hillock.."

15
The Lighter Side / Re: The worst Ancestry transcription ever?
« on: Friday 16 February 24 09:41 GMT (UK)  »
I guess the enumerator wrote what he thought he heard.
I have one ancestor born in the small village of "Brinscall". In one census, only 10 miles away, it is written "Brinscow".

That is EXACTLY how the locals would say it.  ;D

16
The Lighter Side / Re: The worst Ancestry transcription ever?
« on: Thursday 15 February 24 21:59 GMT (UK)  »
Don't forget that people did not write down what was said, but what they THOUGHT they heard.

My own paternal ggg gf appears in various records with his surname spelled in NINE different ways. None of these spellings matches my own surname.

Are these names wrong? No.

I can't guess how he pronounced the name, but "educated" people commonly had trouble figuring out what he said.

I use the version which appears on his baptism and burial as the "primary" name. All the versions appear in my FH software with dates against them.

When my ggf married in 1891 the clergyman write down yet another version; one he would have been familiar with. His bride was literate, so the new version stuck.

17
Technical Help / Re: Edge & McAfee
« on: Thursday 15 February 24 21:42 GMT (UK)  »
That said I had Microsoft keep sending me messages about updating a Windows 8 laptop to Windows 11.
Caution - late in 2023 Microsoft shut down the servers which allowed you to update Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 or 11 for free.
If you took their "advice" you would need to cough up for a new licence.

18
The Lighter Side / Re: More Strange Occupations !!!!
« on: Friday 09 February 24 11:39 GMT (UK)  »
For some reason, it always comes as a surprise to me to see a census entry for a female described as an Ag Lab.

Then I remember that about half the people working in agriculture these days are female. 

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