Watchmaker or Matchmaker?

Post by **Pandabean** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:58 am

Hey all,

Apologies for my absence. I have just moved into a new place and we have no internet at home.

I was going through my certificates while doing a backup and found the following death certificate of Elizabeth Johnston, MS Taylor.

http://www.talkingscot.com/gallery/disp ... ?pos=-1330

The occupation of the father is not very clear to me, the main part that is a bit confusing is the start of the word it is either M or W, which in turn would be Matchmaker (master) or Watchmaker (master). The latter sounds better as I don't know of many masters of matchmaking.

Does anyone know much about this profession at this time and if any more information can be gained?

I have not as yet done a detailed look for the death certificate of Elizabeth's parents, which I intend to do soon.

Thanks,

Muriel · Post by **Muriel** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:19 am

Hi Andy

Hope you're getting settled in - is that you in Edinburgh now? I think it's Watchmaker. If you look at the W in widow & window as against the M in Martin, it looks more like a W.

Muriel

claudette · Post by **claudette** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:01 am

Hi Andy

I would say it is definitely a W.

If you compare it to the W as in Widow earlier in the certificate and also to the W as in Window in the cause of death, then they are all the same letter.

What a sad cause of death to have fallen from a window if I read it right.

Also if you look for capital M elsewhere in the certificate, there are 2 types of M. For the month May and the name Martin they have a curly squiggle at the beginning. For the occupation of her husband - Coal Merchant, there is another form of M - but both are quite different from the W.

I'm afraid I know very little about watchmakers and their profession short of Googling on the internet. Hopefully someone else will have more info to give you as there are lots of very knowledgable people who use TS.

Hope this helps.

Kind Regards
Claudette

Post by **Pandabean** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:30 pm

Thanks Guys, basically I need confirmation of what I was seeing as I didnt expect a watchmaker in the family.

I did a quick search on SP for the OPR marriage of Thomas Taylor and Helen Martin and I got a hit. Stilll looking for deaths. Guess what is on his marriage record. Watchmaker. Some parts I am having trouble reading like the placenames, I can make out Muchart for Helen, but I have no idea for Thomas. Also I am having trouble understanding the part:

"Daughter to George Martin overseer there."

Does that mean he is in the church or a mayor on the off chance?

I cant upload the file as its too big. I dont have software at work to shirnk it. Is it possible to send it to someone to shrink down and possibly upload it?

I will be back on tomorrow.

Muriel - I didnt get the funding for HW so I am still in Aberdeen. I have decided to work for a few years and then go back to do an MSc.

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:41 pm

Pandabean wrote:Thanks Guys, basically I need confirmation of what I was seeing as I didnt expect a watchmaker in the family.

I did a quick search on SP for the OPR marriage of Thomas Taylor and Helen Martin and I got a hit. Stilll looking for deaths. Guess what is on his marriage record. Watchmaker. Some parts I am having trouble reading like the placenames, I can make out Muchart for Helen, but I have no idea for Thomas. Also I am having trouble understanding the part:

"Daughter to George Martin overseer there."

Does that mean he is in the church or a mayor on the off chance?

I cant upload the file as its too big. I dont have software at work to shirnk it. Is it possible to send it to someone to shrink down and possibly upload it? I will be back on tomorrow.

Muriel - I didnt get the funding for HW so I am still in Aberdeen. I have decided to work for a few years and then go back to do an MSc.

Difficult to be certain without see the context, but overseer is more likely to mean foreman, or, possibly, a senior position in something like a workhouse.

David

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:49 pm

Is that a bludge skiver in our midst!

Posting on the internet while on the job

Nice to see you back

....sorry you're suffering the loss of internet at home

Andy I bet one of the guid AG people could load the image for you. I don't think they have limitations on image size...or at least not like we mortals do

Best wishes
Jean

Post by **marilyn morning** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:09 am

Hi Andy,

We'd be glad to post it for you. Send a copy to MarilynATTalkingScot.com and I'll get it posted for ya.

Regards
Marilyn

Post by **Pandabean** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:56 pm

Thanks Marilyn, I have just sent it to you now.

Post by **marilyn morning** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:52 pm

Hi Andy,

You're welcome! Let me go get it now.

Marilyn

Added moments later. Sorry Andy, I'm getting the following error message.

Error Message

1. Helen%20Martin%20%26%20Thomas%20Taylor[1].JPG Exceeded filesize permitted by CPG.

Let me check if we can reduce the size of the file and get it posted for ya.

Post by **AndrewP** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:27 pm

Hi Andy,

That's the image reduced to a size that the Gallery software is happy with.

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1331

All the best,

AndrewP