General Chat

When I went to "Family History" evening classes, was told that every family has it's fair share of lunatics and alcoholics. So far have found at least two each (It's obviously in the genes!! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!), not to mention at least two ancestors who were born "the wrong side of the blanket"!! How many has everyone else found?

Are we talking ancestors here? cos I have some of both still alive and kicking!!! As for those the "wrong side of the blanket" a near miss in 1875 (by 1 month) and thereafter it was all down hill by all accounts - heyho, it's all part of life's rich pattern! Jacqui

Not thick at all - I think it means that the child of the union was born without the parents having benefit of a marriage certificate! In my ancestors case they must have been living "over the brush" for at least 8 months before the baby was born! "Over the brush" means, without the benefit of marriage certificate. Jacqui

In my case, Great Great Grandma doesn't appear to have married the father of my Great Grandma - and more frustrating for me as a genealogist, has left no clue as to the name of Great Grandma's Daddy!!!! Great Grandma was Georgina Greek born 1862, Little Torrington, Devon - if anyone has any ideas as to how I can find out who her Daddy was would be pleased to hear them!! Her Mother, Elizabeth Greek, later married a man called Kelly, but not until many years after the births of Georgina and her brother Charley.

I read in a book once that the best family to find lunatics in are royal and aristocratic families. In a normal family, the mad one will not marry and will not pass their genes on. But, in royal families, the mad one might be an important heir, or part of a truce, and will marry - and most probably their cousin too - a nice concentration of the mad gene. The same book said that in 1808 there was only one hereditary monarch in Europe who was not mad, and that was the King of Spain who was regarded as a bit simple. I reckon rich families can afford alcohol too. What do you all think?

I divorced them

Have been trying to get information about relative who spent some time in Shenley Lunatic Asylum and was in a padded cell. Seemed to have recovered and held down a daily job in later life, albeit a labourers job!

unfortunatly the alcoholic in my tree is still alive, wish she was just a person i was researching instead of a living one!!!! Only two lunatics in my tree one born in 1890's and ME!!!!!!

Shelli, Welcome fellow lunatic!! Nigel, That figures!! Am told my ancestors drank their business into the ground!! Kathryn, Hadn't heard that about Queen Vic!! What's the book called? Sylvia - One of mine was in Leicester and Rutland - don't know what became of him. The other was in Salisbury - met someone who remembered going to pick him up when he died!!

Hi Maggie, Haven't found any lunatics as yet (but still searching the asylums). However my grandmother had two illegitimate sons which must have been a terrible stigma in Victorian times and I believe she could have been locked up in a lunatic asylum for this "offence". Also my gt-grandfather appears to have been a drunkard and a bully and fell down the stairs and fractured his spine!! However, its no wonder there were so many drunks and alcoholics around as alcohol was sterilised in the brewing or distilling process whereas water was often contaminated. Therefore the "devils brew" was safer to drink. That must have been a good excuse for getting legless!!! Kathy

So far I've only found one alcoholic and that was because he died of cirrhosis of the liver aged 46. However he was a Gunner in the RMA and I wonder how much action he had seen to affect him. Not found any on the "wrong side of the blanket" as it were but finding it increasingly difficult to find people so this may be the case! Naomi

Gosh lunatics and alcoholics with a splash of 'th e wrong side of the blanket! 9 of my G Grandparents' 10 children were born out of wedlock. the one that was 'legitimate' died at 4. They didn't marry 'cos he allegedly had a wife in a lunaitc asylum (so no relation to me!), and you couldn't divorce an incarcerated spouse. One of these children was 'simple' - gran always said he fell on is head at birth, but it was more like lack of oxygen. He was an upholsterer. On the other side, my G grandmother was the result of a liaison with the lodger My dad & his sister were the result of a bigamous marriage, and my G grandad on yet another side fell down the stairs at a pub and was killed - not so much alcoholic as pish artist!

All this talk of the "wrong side of the blanket" reminded me that there is an interesting article in this quarters Hampshire Family History mag. where an elderly knowledgeable lady remonstrated with a young American who is research his family history - she says "now young man, there is something I want you to understand before you sit down and read through all the date you have. I dont want you to get the wrong impression of your forebears. You must understand that back in the 18th and 19th centuries this area was completely agricultural area, almost everyone worked on the land. Therefore it was of prime importance that before anyone got married they had to be sure that the girl was fertile! To have many children was the only insurance people had in those days that there would be someone to look after them in their old age - hence the reason that many birthdays followed soon after the date of marriage. It was not that they were immoral people - children born out of wedlock were not called "b.....ds" in Meonstoke (Hants) they were known as MERRY-BEGOTS". Was it a question of "making hay whilst the sun shone" do you think? I think that in future when I come across another Merry-begot in my family tree I will always have a vision of a tumble in the hay! (probably better than a vision of behind the bike-shed) Jacqui

Don't some of these folks sound like they would have been fun to know??!!!!! Always wish I could have known my Grandmother when she was younger - she used to tell tales of the parties they had at home - including one where she was riding down the road on the bonnet of a car at 3.00am with a wooden spoon in her hand!!!! Don't ask me why!!!!! (Grandma was born in 1895 and used to give us a "canard" at Christmas when we were young - a sugar cube dipped in Cointreau!!).

I've a whole section of Weavers in Ashton keynes who are all illegitimate some by 4 years or more . Perhaps in a small village no-one really cared . they all seem to have married into the same family. Bit like an Episode of eastenders I suppose every one a secret relative of someone else and some use their mothers maiden name or their father's name in alternate census, maybe just to confuse me ... or maybe just because they couldn't remeber what their surname was. Probably been at the drink then ....... I'm thirsty now after writing all that .......... Kim

just a thought here... the people that years ago would have been considered as lunatics included people with epilepsy, dementia and even people whe were "hard of hearing" or had speech impediments were considered as "simple" lou

My sentiment's to Louise, sometimes people were locked away because they were in the way and when they became pregnant...." poor soul's

Kathryn, Thanks for that - will have to get a copy!! Funnily enough mentioned it at a meeting I went to last night, and one of colleagues had heard the theory too!! Kim, Have bottle of fruity white wine on the go - would you like a glass?? Lou/Janet, Wonder how many "sane" people are still locked away today??

yes I think they are still these days - its a building in London called the Houses of Parliament isnt it?

lol but i have managed to avoid being caught... lou