The Diary of Nathaniel Bryceson (Part 6)

[drykid]

I wonder if Aleck was a pseudonym?

It's possible, I suppose.  Although if so then he used it not only for Notes & Queries, but also for books he contributed to *and* when donating from his collection to other sources.

The 1911 census is publicly available, yeah?  Does that have any info about who was living at the Hilmarton Rd and Rutland Park Mansion addresses at that time? I'm not sure if he would still be at the former or moved to the latter by then (hopefully he wasn't living somewhere else inbetween...)

[Siamese Girl]

Bingo! Got him! - Thanks for the earlier address.

1901 census 39 Hilmarton Road Islington:

Elizabeth Abrahams 79 widow living on own means     b. city of London
Alfred J ,,  ,, son 42 single Printers manager                   ,,   ,,
Elizabeth  ,,   ,,  daughter 40 single                                ,,     ,,
Alexander  ,,    ,,  son 35 single warehouse manager     ,,     ,,
Keziah Clements 22 general servant.                           b. Somerset.

I was sure he was just an interested amateur and I think I might be right.

Carole                           

[Ruskie]

Someone with a subscription to FindMyPast might be kind enough to check the 1911 for us.  

I can't see Aleck in 1901 and 1891? I thought the first name was unusual but there are 256 of them in the 1901 census!

Just saw your post Carole.

[Ruskie]

So Aleck is dead by 1901? 

[drykid]

So Aleck is dead by 1901? 

If he is then his ghost keeps writing to Notes & Queries for the next 20 years heh

But yeah, the profession on the 1901 does seem at odds with the British Museum bit.  Not sure what to make of that.  Anyway useful to know that he's down as "Alexander" on the census; I'll try and look out for more info under that name instead of "Aleck".

[nestagj]

What do you want to know on the 1911 - I have some spare credit ...
Nesta

[waiteohman]

So Aleck is dead by 1901? 

Mum would no doubt use his proper name and given this to the enumerator. Maybe in 1911 census he was on his own and used Aleck.

Linda

[ShaunJ]

"Notes and Queries" seems to have been a weekly journal, originally an offshoot of The Athenaeum in 1849, taken over and relaunched by The Times in 1920. "A Medium of Intercommunication for Literary Men, General Readers etc". Price 6d.

[Ruskie]

Oops, I saw Elizabeth as a widow and automatically thought Aleck was her dead husband and didn't notice Alexander the son.

It must be the right family as they're at the right address, but I think Aleck is an unusual shortened form of Alexander - shouldn't he be Alex? ...

this is all a bit strange ...

I suppose it's possible that between 1901 and 1904 Aleck changed occupations, or was he always a warehouse manager and did the history buff stuff in his spare time?

Thanks for the offer Nesta - if you can locate Aleck/Alexander, see where he's living, who he's living with and most importantly what his occupation is etc .... that would be great.