strange family names

[Tsu]

I know of two Thor's and an Odin, all children.

[Redroger]

My mother, Emily Hannah nee Ayres (1903-2003) was known throughout her life as Jum. The story was as follows: During the earlier part of 1903, her 14 year old uncle James Ayres (bc1889) emigrated (alone) to Australia, before he went, he said to his older brother her father, "If its a boy call him Jim after me" It wasn't a boy, but my mother was still called Jim.

[Tsu]

That's a nice story.

How did your great uncle get on in Australia?

[~Rachel~]

I've got a Tom Doris Waite... 

Can't imagine he'd have mentioned that at school! And it was also slightly weird as his father already had another son called Thomas, who was known as Billy.

[Redroger]

 I once knew a family called Towle, they had a son and called him Terry because it seemed appropriate!

[Redroger]

Sorry Tsu, I forgot to answer your query. He married in 1916, his bride was from the same village as him, Bottisham Lode, Cambs. She went out to Australia in 1915, again alone like him, aged 23, and with German submarines everywhere in the North Atlantic. When he left England in 1903 she would have been aged 10. I have seen rumours of arranged marriages in this village, have posted queries on this site, but noone wants to know, it's like the Mafia Omata! Anyway, they married raised a family and I believe he died in Sydney around 1965. Got this from a grandson of his through the net. My mother who lived to 99 said that they had lost contact with him after he went to Australia, yet his grandson said that he had been in regular contact with his only surviving sister up to his death. We knew her quite well, and if this is correct to my knowledge she never mentioned the contact.

[Tsu]

Thanks for that Roger,
My husband's great grandfather went to Australia (and then to NZ) on his own in about 1883 after his mother died.

When you think about it, it was a massively brave thing to do.  The equivalent of going to the moon on a one way ticket today.

[Redroger]

My wife has a relative who made a fortune in the NZ goldfield, sold out and went into dairy farming in a warmer climate- Australia

[snowyjo]

Have a read of Potty, Fartwell & Knob, Extraordinary but true names of British People by Russell Ash. It's hilarious.

Joan