Genealogy Chat

Jay Thank you for that info. I hadn't realised shorthand was quite that old! you learn something every day. As far as I am aware all of my rellies were miners or similar. This one is a bit of a puzzle for me. I have just found out the name of the father of her child, and he is neither my grandfather nor was she my step-grandmother, but my dad always knew her child as his step brother! Confusing!! She also had the same name as my grandmother, which makes it even harder. She may iof course be a distant rellie that did come from one of the backgrounds you mention. I'm really stuck. I'm going to see if I can look at the electoral roll for 1919 'ish. Many thanks and happy hunting! Carol

Pitman's shorthand first appeared about 1840!! Yes there would be secretaries/stenographers for the managers of the mines and the company officials. Might she have been the daughter of a professional person - vicar, doctor, etc living in the area? Yes, she would have had to have some training - the shorthand required considerable skill 1919 is just after WW! - up until then most clerks/book keepers etc would have been men. Jay

Hi all, Would it be usual to find a shorthand typist in a mining community in 1919? She could have worked in the mine offfices I guess, but wouldn't she have needed some kind of schooling/training for it? I didn't know shorthand was invented then! Any views/comments please? Thanks