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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: chewboy on Tuesday 13 March 12 08:51 GMT (UK)
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Hi folks
Please could somebody tell me what this profession is and what do they do?
Thank you
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Hopefully without stating the obvious, I think the first word is Stone ?
Pels.
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Hi Mark
well, it looks like Stone Chedger! But what that is - who knows ???
Someone who worked in a quarry perhaps?
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Stone Hedger?
I think building stone hedges/walls
http://www.cornishhedges.co.uk/PDF/building.pdf
Leanne
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Stone Dredger.
Look at the D in Dovercourt ?
Pels.
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Agree, Stone hedger
(The writer has fancy large-looped beginnings to many of his written words!)
ie: a dry stone waller
Most of the googled up references state more specifically "Cornish Stone Hedger"
Cheers
AMBLY
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I agree with Pels - Stone Dredger.
It's always useful to know the reference, and where the person lived.
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It's either Hedger, or Dredger - without seeing another capital H, it's hard to be sure. Can we have a page reference please, chewboy?
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A Stone Dredger would sort the inferior stone from the better quality.
Guy Etchells has written this on another site ! ;D
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If he's a stone dredger, this is what he did
A stone dredger at a quarry sorts the inferior stone from the better.
Courtesy of Guy Etchells
Edit - sorry Pels - you got there before me ;D
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I agree with Ambly that it is hedger with a decorative loop. I do not see an R there. Hannah
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The D in Dovecourt is quite distinct from the initial letter of the mystery word - note the wee loop at the base of the D. Tried to present a clean comparison in image.....
(still plumping for 'hedger' - lower case 'h' with a flourish :)
Cheers
AMBLY
oops sorry a bit bigger than I planned!
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Hello -
I would read it as Stone Dredger.
craggagh.
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The "D loop" is clockwise, the other one anti-clockwise. :) Or not.
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The reference is RG9 / 1094 / 23 / 10, Robert Hammond (after a long search ::) )
He is living at Dovercourt, on the Essex coast.
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I think the difference in the loop is due to the writer following through to join the r in dredger whereas it just tails out in Dovercourt. Both to my mind would have been written anti-clockwise. If you look at the end of the word and also at scholar below you will see the r written the the same way.
Also bear in mind that, as far as I know,although I could be mistaken in this, stone hedges are a Cornish term and most other parts of England are of a different construction and called dry stone walls.
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It's totally different from any of the other Hs* on the page and far more like the Ds in Dovercourt, Dressmaker and Devonshire, so I'm voting for Dredger.
gnu
* and the lower case ones in his wife which repeat down ther page
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Has he been found on censuses either side? If so, what occupation is shown on them (it may be in a less flowery style). I can't see him myself ???
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1871 census, RG10/1680/125/26 - not much help -
Still in Harwich - it looks like 'continental labour' (in common with another on the same page).
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An 1861 occupation search turns up several other men in nearby Harwich whose occupation was 'stone dredgerman'.
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Cement stone, or coprolite, dredging was carried out in the Harwich area.
This had been going on at least since the 1850s when many men described themselves as cement stone dredgers and loaders. See http://bernardoconnor.org.uk/Coprolites/Suffcops/SHOTLEY.htm
Stan
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My money's on stone dredger!!
in where born the D in dovercourt looks the same.
regards Derek
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Essex Lent Assize. John Mowtell, stone dredger, was charged with stealing half a ton of cement stone, at Harwich, the property of the Board of Ordnance........ he had an iron crome used for picking up the stone
There were similar indictments against three other men "The Judge, addressing them said......Outside the low water-mark they were quite at liberty to dredge for stone......"
The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties (Colchester, England), Friday, March 10, 1854; Issue 1212. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.
Stan
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Can't believe I've done this just to prove it's a 'D' !! ;D ;D
The first from the left, is the D in Dredger. The second is the D in Dovercourt.
The third is a combination of the first one with the second layered on top at 50% opacity.
Slight manipulation due to the middle one being slightly rounder.
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Can't believe I've done this just to prove it's a 'D' !! ;D ;D
To my mind there's no need any more to prove it :D
I'm in no doubt it's a 'd' and that the occupation is stone dredger.
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Just to confirm everything I've posted :) :) :)
Harwich St Nicholas District 5 RG9 Piece1094 Folio 108 Page 31
Stan
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3 pages - I think it's clear that it's Stone Dredger ::)
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My apologies.
I should have given the reference, but posted the query and then went out for the whole day, so I haven't been on top of it until now.
Thanks to everybody concerned.
Good debate, lots of pros and cons, but no blood flowed which is the main thing.
Many many thanks.