Charlotte Kay 1861 .....

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:43 pm

Hi All

I have uploaded an 1861 census for Charlotte Kay. The first entry on the sheet.

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1289

I would like some help with her occupation. ? Draper.

I know what I think the first word is, but it doesn't really make sense!

Best wishes

Jean

Gallery URL added - AndrewP

Post by **AndrewP** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:01 pm

Hi Jean,

My feeling is that it says she was a Linnen Draper.

All the best,

AndrewP

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:09 pm

Thanks Andrew

That makes sense

I read it as Human Draper

and that didn't make sense at all!

Best wishes
Jean

Post by **paddyscar** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:21 pm

Hi Jean:

The initial letter is a puzzle. I doesn't look like:
L in Labourer, Lanarkshire, Lothian
H in Head, House, Haddington
W in Wife, Widow

Having said that,
Andrew = Linnen
Jean = Human
Frances = Human, Woman, Learner

She is a shop keeper and her daughter is a milner, so maybe I'm bending it to fit the context of female clothier. Have you had a look at the previous page, where there may be a master draper/seamstress/ coutourier?

Human draper might be a way of distinguishing between a draper who would construct household soft goods (drapes/curtains, pillows, linens, bedding) and a person who would construct clothing, literally 'draping' the human form. It's not listed in either of the Trades & Occupations lists I checked.

Frances

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:32 pm

Hi Frances

This is intriguing

The initial letter of the first word looks like nothing else on the page.

I haven't looked at the previous page as Charlotte is the head of the household.

I have her in my tree as "draper" which is more or less correct

Unless, of course, anyone else can come up with any ideas

Best wishes
Jean

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:37 pm

Hi namesake

Can't resist adding the Ancestry interpretation.....there's always one more where they're concerned

Name: Charlotte Scott King
Age: 52
Estimated birth year: abt 1809
Relationship: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: St Andrew, Fifeshire
Registration Number: 698
Registration district: Ratho
Civil parish: Ratho
County: Midlothian
Address: Shop & Hone
Occupation: Lermer Draper

That said......I tend to side with Andrew. Am only seeing Linnen Draper masel....

Best wishes
Jean

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:42 pm

Given the "L" in Lodger, Labourer, and Linlithgowshire, I don't "see" "L" here, but what else can it be

David

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:47 pm

Hi Jean
I'd tend to go with Andrew's suggeston - it may not be correct

but here is why I think it might be....

I think the first letter does resemble the L in Labourer (the one from Haddingtonshire, Tranent, a couple of lines down)
In the word Miliner in the line below you can see that the writer does not always dot his "i" - or if he did it is so faint as not to have translated well in the image copying process.
The letters "n" in the word also resemble the one in Miliner below
The "e" is very small like the one in Draper
...and I reckon we can see that sometimes the last "n" in his words trails off - for e.g. of this see Invergordon as the birth place of Daniel Ross, the lodger.

The list of names appears to have been written more carefully and there are differences of style there - even between Scholar and Slater there is a completely different approach to the final letter "r" so it is not an easy hand to get to grips with.

Also at http://web.ukonline.co.uk/thursday.hand ... cc-d-f.htm
it says: a draper is a "dealer in fabrics, chiefly woollen and linen cloth, and sewing needs. Larger dealers also sold ready-made clothes." which kind of ties in with the "Linnen" idea, although I originally wondered if it might be some word which implied she was a "master" draper or something like a "haberdasher" and draper but so far I've not found anything which would fit....

Best wishes
Lesley

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:22 pm

I see it as "Linener... Draper"

Jim

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:14 pm

I saw it as Linnen Draper and when I compared with the other 'L's on the page it looked as though he started with a flourish and gradually became more tired as he progressed down the page.
The 'Where born' column looks as though he went to bed before he filled it in and completed it the next morning when he was fresh. The style is much the same but it is much bolder and clearer.

Russell