The Diary of Nathaniel Bryceson (Part 7)

[snowyw]

Freebmd  could only come up with these for the daughter??

Births Sep 1846
Vandergucht  Female    Chelsea  3 65    
Vanderpump  Mary Ann     Shoreditch  2 451    
Venters  Ellen Lucy     Shoreditch  2 375    


Births Mar 1847  
Vandersteen  Eliza     Bethnal Gn  2 2

[Ruskie]

On the subject of the stolen skull, I visited St Pancras Old Church the other week.  It's an interesting place; was it mentioned here that at that time the person in charge of the relocation of the old graves due to the railway encroachment was no less than the novelist Thomas Hardy? (There's a plaque about it all underneath what's known as the Hardy tree.)  I have a mental image of Nat making his getaway chased by a furious Thomas Hardy, although doubtless in reality it happened while Nat was the only one there.

I have seen pictures of the Hardy Tree and I knew that the graves were relocated but I didn't know that Thomas Hardy was the man in charge.   I'm curious as to how he got that job - I will google ...  

[drykid]

Hmm I just googled myself, and it seems from the dates that Hardy got the job some time after Nat's little adventure (given that Hardy was born in 1840 it's not surprising.)  Shame about that, I liked the idea of the two meeting unknowingly.  I guess the churchyard must've been in a bad state for quite an extended period of time. 

It was definitely Thomas Hardy the writer though.

[deb usa]

Hi Ruskie

 

I am sure it's misspelled ...can't find William and Sarah's marriage neither.
Unless it's the William Vandersom = Sarah Hope 1838  

deb

ooo 5 red posts  
another one 

[Ruskie]

Yes it was that Thomas Hardy.  He was an assistant architect at the time ... sounds like an interesting job:

throughout the late autumn and early winter ... Hardy attended at the churchyard — each evening between five and six, as well as sometimes at other hours. There after nightfall, within a high hoarding that could not be overlooked, and by the light of flare-lamps, the exhumation went on continuously of the coffins that had been uncovered during the day, new coffins being provided for those that came apart in lifting, and for loose skeletons; and those that held together being carried to the new ground on board merely; Hardy supervised these mournful processions when present, with what thoughts may be imagined.

It seems he wrote a few poems which may have been influenced by this experience.

[Ruskie]

Hi Ruskie

I am sure it's misspelled ...can't find William and Sarah's marriage neither.
Unless it's the William Vandersom = Sarah Hope 1838 

deb

Looks possible. If I remember correctly there is only the one likely William with a surname that sounds anything like Vandercombe.

[alpinecottage]

Hi Ruskie

 

I am sure it's misspelled ...can't find William and Sarah's marriage neither.
Unless it's the William Vandersom = Sarah Hope 1838  

deb

ooo 5 red posts  
another one 

Sarah Vandercom married I think in 1842 in Westminster (I've closed Freebmd down).  Of course William and Sarah could have married anywhere and anytime. 

[Steven Bryceson]

I've just been looking over some books which have been in my possession for some years. They belonged to my great grandfather, Leo Bryceson, NB's grandson via his youngest son Henry. There is a completer set of Charles Dickins' works, a seperate book by Charles Dickins called "The Life of our Lord" given by Henry Bryceson to my Nan in 1934 and with a lovely inscription from HB and also a book called Wonders of Phycisal Science given by HB to Leo. This was in 1911 when NB was still alive. The inscription reads: "To H L Bryceson from Dad 5th January 1911 - Wishing you many happy returns of the day and trusting the perusal will add to your knowledge". As you can see, a love of books runs in the family!

[Paul Caswell]

The entry about the skull was dated Sunday, 2 January, 1848. It was a single quote from Nat's diary by another writer:

http://www.archive.org/stream/s11notesqueries10londuoft/s11notesqueries10londuoft_djvu.txt

Search for "JarCry"

Paul