Humour in Genealogy

Image above: © West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village  

On 18th September, the Fromus Centre in Saxmundham filled with laughter and people enjoying themselves — but why?  A talk by our Chairman Chris Broom — not just any talk – this was 'Humour in Genealogy'.  

When searching for his own family origins, he remembers times with his father, who had a great sense of humour which he passed on to Chris, who smiles as he remembers the belly laughs which they had together.  His dad liked Tommy Cooper's joke about clearing out the attic, 'The Stradivarius and the Rembrandt'.

Throughout many historical documents Chris has found many humorous references, some involving names, and he shared some of these with us.

Many early public documents are available in Record Offices, Ecclesiastical Libraries and Museums, for example, Wills, Diaries, Newspapers, Parish Registers (introduced by Thomas Cromwell in 1538), and Census returns in various forms every ten years from 1841 (except the 1931 census which was destroyed by fire in 1942, and none were taken during World War II except the 1939 Register which is a census substitute).

*On 22nd April 1632 a Vicar asked the parents what their child's name would be, the answer was “What You Please”.  That name appears in the baptism register.

*On February 25th 1770 “where was the child born?” - on horseback.

*There was a marriage on 5th November 1832 in Bury St Edmunds between a husband aged 104 and wife 78; he outlived her!

*And another marriage when the bride, who had no arms, had the ring put on her foot and she signed the register using her foot.

*Spike Milligan had previously said he wanted his headstone to bear the words “I told you I was ill”, but the Diocese would not permit it, so his tombstone says it in Irish: “Dúirt mé leat go mé breoite”.

Some comic Census entries:
*Head of the house: 'International Playboy';
*Occupation: 'Boss';
*Daughter's occupation: 'Does what she pleases'.

One person filled the whole of the Census form with fictitious names, occupations and country of origin.  He seemed to have people from all around the world.

Some Census returns include pets, such as Cat 'mouse catcher'; Joe Linnet aged 8 'songster'.

A wife crossed her name off a Census form, but it was noted at the bottom of the sheet that she was a Suffragette.  Another Suffragette completed a form and wrote in large letters 'VOTES FOR WOMEN' across the page.

'Knight of the Thimble' – was he a tailor?
'Knocker up of work people' was paid to wake people up by blowing dried peas through a tube to hit their windows.
From a newspaper: “Hefty Girls Wanted for Police Force”.

A birth certificate names a child 'Leicester Railway'.  Place of birth 'born on a train at Leicester Station'.

Other names - Morris Dancer, Al Fresco, Tommy Gun, Scott Free and Minnie Skirt.

Thank you Chris, laughter all the way.

Janet Huckle