RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: jim1 on Wednesday 06 June 07 21:29 BST (UK)
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I was looking at the marriage PR a while back and became bored with all the X's in place of names which for some reason has become the universal symbol but when I came to the couple I was looking for I found the bride had put two small circles instead.Being a bit of an old romantic I think she was indicating two wedding bands....so how many different marks are there I wonder other than the old X.Do you have any?I'll start the autograph book with my:
oo
Jim
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Or maybe she had a good sense of humour and was playing OXO.
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If you go back in the history of signing documents you will find that the gentlemen used a signature and a seal. However the tradesmen (I use the term loosely) even when they could write often made their mark. This would frequently be representative of their trade and so a pawnbroker for example would make a mark of three rings representing the three balls.
You are now left with the interesting question of what was the occupation of the family of the woman who signed with the two rings.
David
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I'm afraid they were an ag.lab. family.Maybe they are representative of a couple of spuds.
Flossy..I don't think they had OXO in 1811 ;D
I think I'll stick with my wedding band theory it sounds more romantic.
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I suppose when you think about it, people who couldn't write had to "make your mark" so most just put two crossed lines we now call X.
So the two circles are most likely the bride's "mark" so that anyone who saw them knew it was her.
I remember a few years ago there was a chap at work who used to draw a pair of spectacles. It you spotted them on anything you knew it had been him.
Jean